Riyadh Air, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, aspires to set up a global network rivalling its Gulf peers.

Riyadh Air is launching flights to Mumbai from August 4, improving air connectivity to Saudi Arabia, India’s second largest overseas destination.

The airline will operate daily flights between Riyadh and Mumbai with its brand new Boeing 787 planes.

Riyadh Air, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, aspires to set up a global network rivalling its Gulf peers. While traditional traffic flows comprise largely labour and pilgrims, the airline hopes to attract onward travellers with a premium offering that includes four class cabins and modern entertainment systems, among others.

“With India emerging as one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally, we are delighted to offer travellers a new premium choice and enhanced global connectivity from Mumbai to Riyadh, and onwards to Europe,” Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said in a statement.

“The route has been carefully selected to align with our ambition to become a global airline and a significant contributor to Vision 2030,” he added.

The airline said Mumbai-Riyadh route will offer onward connectivity to Europe and the Middle East, catering to both business and leisure travellers from India. Riyadh Air launched London flights on June 10 and this was followed by services to Dubai and Cairo. Flights to Madrid and Manchester will begin later this month.

Around 3.4 million Indians travelled to Saudi Arabia in CY 2025, tourism ministry data shows.

Currently there are around 30 daily flights (two-way) between India and Riyadh. Jeddah is the biggest destination with 42 daily flights to/from India. Overall, IndiGo is the market leader in the India-Saudi Arabia market, followed by Air India Express and Saudia.

Published on July 6, 2026