Riyadh Air’s long-anticipated first flight is set for October 26, when it will take to the skies bound for London Heathrow using a leased Boeing 787 aircraft – albeit with an unconventional launch strategy.
The maiden flight from the Saudi capital to Europe’s busiest airport will carry paying passengers who are employees of the airline and its owner the Public Investment Fund (PIF), through a “launch membership” programme, Riyadh Air’s chief executive Tony Douglas said.
The Riyadh-Heathrow route will be a daily scheduled service, which the airline is starting in time for the northern winter season.
Ticket sales to the public will not begin until the start-up airline takes delivery of its first two 787 Dreamliners from the US plane maker, “weeks after” the October 26 flight date, Mr Douglas told The National. He declined to provide specific dates.
Meanwhile, flights for the “launch members” will begin on Riyadh Air’s technical spare aircraft, dubbed Jamila. Airline and PIF staff, along with their families, will be eligible to buy tickets through the loyalty programme, Sfeer, and will be surveyed for customer experience feedback.
“How do you stand up an airline from zero without testing absolutely everything?” Mr Douglas said. “We’re going to survey them on all the touch points across the guest experience.”
Riyadh Air’s launch strategy includes testing the passenger flights and mitigating the potential risk of jet delivery delays after general tickets have been issued.
“Until you’ve tested and trialled everything, if you go ‘big bang’ on day one and assume absolutely everything will work perfectly on the first day, the reality is it won’t … so we will use that period to make sure the feedback will give us the opportunity to polish every last little detail before I actually sell a ticket to you,” Mr Douglas said.
The Saudi airline was established in March 2023 as part of plans to help turn the kingdom into an aviation and tourism hub and diversify its revenue from oil. Its launch preparations stirred interest in the market after a series of aircraft orders with Boeing and Airbus, crew uniforms unveiled during Paris Haute Couture Week and the reveal of its cabin interiors.
Delivery delays at Boeing prompted the airline to push back its launch to the fourth quarter of the year. The airline had said it was not an option to operate older or leased planes for its debut.
Boeing delivery delays
Riyadh Air’s first 787-9 aircraft came out of the paint shop in Boeing’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina, at the end of last month, complete with its customised seats and cabins, Mr Douglas said. The second 787 is going through the final assembly line and should be completed in a month.
“The first delivery is imminent, the second is one month behind it, so it’s happening in the short term. This is really now going to pick up a lot of pace,” he added.
Once its first two aircraft are delivered, as well as starting selling tickets to the public, Riyadh Air will start services to Dubai International Airport (DXB).
“The minute the first [new] aircraft arrives, we will put [it] on to London Heathrow, and we will put Jamila on to Dubai,” Mr Douglas said. “When the second aircraft gets delivered, we will put it on to Dubai, and then Jamila will become the technical spare.”
He declined to provide a start date for the Dubai service, saying it depends on Boeing’s delivery dates and other variables.
“If we had sold you a ticket for the presumption of a date to go from Riyadh to London Heathrow, I don’t know absolutely the day of the Boeing delivery until the day after it’s turned up,” Mr Douglas said. “And if the day before it’s supposed to be delivered, Boeing rings me up and says ‘Tony, bad news: We found a little technical hiccup, it’s going to be three days late,’ then I’ve now not fulfilled the obligation from the ticket I’ve sold you.”
The airline has placed an order for 39 Boeing 787 aircraft and options for an additional 33, taking the total to 72 Dreamliners.
Asked why Riyadh Air would not wait for the new aircraft to arrive and then serve the wider public, Mr Douglas said the airline wanted to set a high standard from the beginning through trials of the entire process from flight booking to airport lounges.
“We’ve got an obsessive attention to detail. We want to make sure that we’ve tested, refined and smoothed out everything during this process,” he said.
Many variables can affect the delivery of an aircraft, from final certification to weather disruptions.
Asked if there was enough demand for the Riyadh-London route from staff and families to launch the route, Mr Douglas said “everybody in the kingdom wants to be a launch member”.
Nevertheless, the public can enrol on the Sfeer programme from October 8, becoming eligible to be a “founding member” and enjoy its benefits, but will not yet be able to book flights.
“We will be very transparent. When we have the second new aircraft, the day after, I will be announcing when I’m going to do general public ticket sales,” he said.
Other airlines currently operating the Riyadh-London Heathrow route include British Airways, Saudia and Virgin Atlantic.
‘Highly unusual’ strategy
Riyadh Air’s “soft launch” strategy is “highly unusual but strategically cautious”, Linus Bauer, founder and managing director of UAE-based consultancy BAA & Partners, said.
“It allows the airline to test operations, train crew and refine the customer experience without public scrutiny,” he said.
However, while this controlled roll-out minimises reputational risk, it also delays revenue and exposes the airline to intense competition when it enters the London and Dubai markets, which are served by heavyweights such as Emirates, flydubai, British Airways and Saudia, he added.
Launching these routes is a sign of “bold ambition” but “the longer the public debut is delayed, the harder it becomes to capture mindshare and loyalty from established rivals,” Mr Bauer said.
The airline is prioritising operational reliability over speed and market share, a “cautious but logical move” given the current constraints in aircraft supply, he said.
The airline plans to expand to 100 routes in the next five years as it receives more aircraft. It has 182 planes on order, including options, from Boeing and Airbus but has not yet received any deliveries.
Riyadh Air has a workforce of 600, which will grow to 15,000 employees by 2030, Osamah Alnuaiser, senior vice president of marketing, said at a press conference in the Saudi capital on Wednesday.
Riyadh lacks direct connectivity to other major global cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai, which is “unacceptable”, Mr Douglas said.
The airline’s mission is scaling up the Saudi capital’s connectivity and, with time, increasing transfer traffic through Riyadh International Airport, which currently has 90 per cent point-to-point traffic, he said.
“The primary objective is far better connectivity, but as we grow, we will become a super-connector as well,” Mr Douglas said, referring to the hub models of Gulf carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways that rely on flying passengers between continents.
He dismissed the idea of joining an airline alliance group but noted that Riyadh Air has signed deals with 10 airlines including Delta, China Eastern, Turkish, Egyptair, Singapore Airways and Virgin Atlantic to fly passengers onward towards other destinations.
When Riyadh Air begins to take delivery of its 60 Airbus A321 Neo on order, it will start short-haul and domestic routes, Mr Douglas said.
The airline expects to receive one new aircraft a month from Boeing over the next year, after which it will also begin taking deliveries from Airbus.
Sfeer loyalty programme
Riyadh Air’s loyalty programme Sfeer means Ambassador in Arabic but also references the English word “sphere”.
Enrolment will open on October 8, and only Sfeer members will be able to purchase tickets for the initial flights, she said.
“We really built in all of the benchmarking and pain points of how do we do it differently,” Kim Hardaker, Riyadh Air’s vice president of loyalty and sustainability, said.
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga – her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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Company%20Profile
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Racecard
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
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World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49′, Armstrong 54′, Redmond 79′)
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20′, Willock 87′)
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
Living in…
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE’s winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE’s winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE’s winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
