When Saudia announces eight seasonal routes for the summer of 2026, a deeper shift lies behind the dry figures of the timetable: the kingdom is actively redrawing the map of summer travel for its citizens and guests, connecting the desert expanses with European and Mediterranean resorts.
Among the new destinations are Salalah in Oman, Antalya and Bodrum in Turkey, Nice in France, Athens and Mykonos in Greece, El Alamein in Egypt and Málaga in Spain. The flights are scheduled for June–September, taking into account the peak loads of the Hajj and the Eid al-Adha holiday. According to the airline, this makes it possible to optimise the use of a fleet of 149 aircraft and of 116 new airliners preparing for delivery.
Saudia's strategy fits into the national aviation development programme, which focuses not only on religious tourism but also on the growing demand for seaside holidays. The summer routes help avoid overloading the hubs in Jeddah and Riyadh during the mass pilgrimage, distributing passenger flows and improving operational efficiency.
Yet there is a broader context behind this expansion as well: Saudi Arabia is striving to diversify its economy, attracting tourists from Europe and offering its residents an alternative to traditional destinations. The seasonality of the flights reduces the risks of overcapacity, but at the same time raises the question of the balance between mass tourism and preserving the authenticity of the destinations.
For passengers this means new opportunities for direct flights without transfers, which is especially valuable amid rising fuel prices and tightening environmental standards. The airline emphasises that the timetable has been drawn up with peak periods in mind in order to ensure smooth operations at airports.
In the end, Saudia is not simply adding flights — it is taking part in shaping a new geography of leisure in the Middle East, where economic goals intertwine with seasonal realities and the changing preferences of travellers.
