Gulf Air Launches First Flight to AlUla International Airport

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is targeting broadening air connectivity with various international and local destinations, and transforming AlUla into a global logistics hub in northwestern Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is targeting broadening air connectivity with various international and local destinations, and transforming AlUla into a global logistics hub in northwestern Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Gulf Air Launches First Flight to AlUla International Airport

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is targeting broadening air connectivity with various international and local destinations, and transforming AlUla into a global logistics hub in northwestern Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is targeting broadening air connectivity with various international and local destinations, and transforming AlUla into a global logistics hub in northwestern Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, launched on Saturday its first-ever flight to AlUla International Airport, from where the company will operate direct Bahrain-AlUla flights twice a week, from February 3 to March 6, and from April 10 to April 27, on board Gulf Air A320neo aircraft.

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is targeting broadening air connectivity with various international and local destinations, and transforming AlUla into a global logistics hub in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Vice President of Destination Marketing and Management Office at RCU Rami Almoallim said: “We are pleased to welcome new visitors on their journey to AlUla, which offers a cultural and tourism experience."

He added that the inclusion of AlUla among Gulf Air’s main seasonal destinations for the current year is proof of the attraction this historic site has for tourists.

“This also helps our endeavors to facilitate access to AlUla as a destination via direct international flights from neighboring international aviation hubs," he added.

Several projects were carried out at AlUla International Airport in recent years to improve its services. The airport joined the list of international airports in March 2021. The total area of the airport was expanded to nearly 2.4 million square meters, and the airport’s flight deck can accommodate up to 15 aircraft at a time.

Enhancing aviation operations and developing the infrastructure of the airport aligns with AlUla’s goals of receiving two million visitors annually by 2035, utilizing a pioneering model of practical and sustainable tourism strategy.

Saudi airlines expanded the scope of its flights to AlUla International Airport linking it with Europe by operating flights with Paris, and adding international destinations to it, from Dubai, Doha, and Cairo.



Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
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Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Oil prices dipped on Monday amid a strong US dollar ahead of key economic data by the US Federal Reserve and US payrolls later in the week.
Brent crude futures slid 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.23 a barrel by 0800 GMT after settling on Friday at its highest since Oct. 14.
US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $73.69 a barrel after closing on Friday at its highest since Oct. 11, Reuters reported.
Oil posted five-session gains previously with hopes of rising demand following colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere and more fiscal stimulus by China to revitalize its faltering economy.
However, the strength of the dollar is on investor's radar, Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, wrote in a report on Monday.
The dollar stayed close to a two-year peak on Monday. A stronger dollar makes it more expensive to buy the greenback-priced commodity.
Investors are also awaiting economic news for more clues on the Federal Reserve's rate outlook and energy consumption.
Minutes of the Fed's last meeting are due on Wednesday and the December payrolls report will come on Friday.
There are some future concerns about Iranian and Russian oil shipments as the potential for stronger sanctions on both producers looms.
The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.
Goldman Sachs expects Iran's production and exports to fall by the second quarter as a result of expected policy changes and tighter sanctions from the administration of incoming US President Donald Trump.
Output at the OPEC producer could drop by 300,000 barrels per day to 3.25 million bpd by second quarter, they said.
The US oil rig count, an indicator of future output, fell by one to 482 last week, a weekly report from energy services firm Baker Hughes showed on Friday.
Still, the global oil market is clouded by a supply surplus this year as a rise in non-OPEC supplies is projected by analysts to largely offset global demand increase, also with the possibility of more production in the US under Trump.