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Saudi Arabia Launches 20 New Flight Routes to Europe

Saudi Arabia launched 20 new routes linking the Kingdom to new cities in Europe through Wizz Air, Europe's fastest-growing airline. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia launched 20 new routes linking the Kingdom to new cities in Europe through Wizz Air, Europe's fastest-growing airline. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches 20 New Flight Routes to Europe

Saudi Arabia launched 20 new routes linking the Kingdom to new cities in Europe through Wizz Air, Europe's fastest-growing airline. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia launched 20 new routes linking the Kingdom to new cities in Europe through Wizz Air, Europe's fastest-growing airline. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia launched 20 new routes linking the Kingdom to new cities in Europe through Wizz Air, Europe's fastest-growing airline.

The airline will introduce new destinations from Bucharest, Budapest, Catania, Larnaca, Milan, Naples, Rome, Tirana, Varna, Venice, and Vienna to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) stated that the new routes would link Saudi Arabia to the world and create greater competition, enabling foreign airlines to expand in the Saudi market and boost tourism.

The new routes aim to boost the growing Saudi Arabian tourism sector and contribute to the Vision 2030 program to triple the country's passenger traffic by 2030 to reach 330 million passengers.

GACA aims to increase the number of destinations offered from the Kingdom's airports from 100 to 250 by 2030.

The Authority announced that the Kingdom would reduce the fees imposed by the Kingdom's main airports on airlines between 10 and 35 percent to create a regulatory framework to support a competitive aviation environment.

Reducing airport charges for Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam is part of the Saudi aviation strategy, a comprehensive sector reform program enabling industry investment totaling $100 billion.

Vice President of Economic Policies and Air Transport at GACA Ali Rajab said the new routes would boost Saudi Arabia's connectivity, demonstrate progress in delivering on the strategic objectives, and create a more competitive sector.

Rajab stressed: "We are committed to reducing costs in Saudi Arabia's aviation sector to ensure long-term competitiveness and growth."

He indicated that this marks another step in Saudi Arabia's vision to create a leading aviation sector with seamless experiences that exceed the expectations of businesses, investors, and passengers.

"Saudi Arabia is unleashing unprecedented aviation opportunities as the Kingdom connects to the world," he added.

The National Strategy is an ambitious plan based on privatization and will enable the development of Saudi airports to raise their operational efficiency and provide the highest standards of passenger services.

Over time, these changes will create investment opportunities that will significantly increase the Kingdom's GDP and enable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The Strategy is driving significant freight growth and enhancing the logistics sector, and aims to empower Vision 2030 and become the leading aviation sector in the Middle East.

The Strategy will promote Saudi aviation by supporting sub-sectors of the civil aviation sector and ensure the Kingdom becomes a leader in the global industry drive to improve safety, enhance customer experience, and promote long-term environmental sustainability.

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Bank of England Cuts Main Interest Rate by a Quarter-point to 4.75%

Bank of England Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy Clare Lombardelli, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, The Bank of England's Head of Media and Stakeholder Engagement Katie Martin and Deputy Governor, Markets and Banking, Dave Ramsden hold the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on November 7, 2024. HENRY NICHOLLS/Pool via REUTERS
Bank of England Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy Clare Lombardelli, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, The Bank of England's Head of Media and Stakeholder Engagement Katie Martin and Deputy Governor, Markets and Banking, Dave Ramsden hold the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on November 7, 2024. HENRY NICHOLLS/Pool via REUTERS
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Bank of England Cuts Main Interest Rate by a Quarter-point to 4.75%

Bank of England Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy Clare Lombardelli, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, The Bank of England's Head of Media and Stakeholder Engagement Katie Martin and Deputy Governor, Markets and Banking, Dave Ramsden hold the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on November 7, 2024. HENRY NICHOLLS/Pool via REUTERS
Bank of England Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy Clare Lombardelli, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, The Bank of England's Head of Media and Stakeholder Engagement Katie Martin and Deputy Governor, Markets and Banking, Dave Ramsden hold the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on November 7, 2024. HENRY NICHOLLS/Pool via REUTERS

The Bank of England cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Thursday after inflation across the UK fell below its target rate of 2%.
The bank said its rate-setting panel lowered the benchmark rate to 4.75% — its second cut in three months — though its governor Andrew Bailey cautioned that interest rates would not be falling too fast over coming months.
“We need to make sure inflation stays close to target, so we can’t cut interest rates too quickly or by too much,” he said. “But if the economy evolves as we expect it’s likely that interest rates will continue to fall gradually from here.”
In the year to September, UK inflation stood at 1.7%, its lowest level since April 2021 and below the central bank’s target rate of 2%, The Associated Press reported.
Central banks worldwide dramatically increased borrowing costs from near zero during the coronavirus pandemic when prices started to shoot up, first as a result of supply chain issues built up and then because of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine which pushed up energy costs.
As inflation rates have recently fallen from multi-decade highs, the central banks have started cutting interest rates.
Economists have warned that worries about the future path of prices following last week's tax-raising budget from the new Labour government and the economic impact of US President-elect Donald Trump may limit the number of cuts next year.
The decision comes a week after Treasury chief Rachel Reeves announced around 70 billion pounds ($90 billion) of extra spending, funded through increased business taxes and borrowing. Economists think that the splurge, coupled with the prospect of businesses cushioning the tax hikes by raising prices, could lead to higher inflation next year.
The rate decision also comes a day after Trump was declared the winner of the US presidential election. He has indicated that he will cut taxes and introduce tariffs on certain imported goods when he returns to the White House in January. Both policies have the potential to be inflationary both in the US and globally, thereby prompting Bank of England policymakers to keep interest rates higher than initially planned.