Saudia Resumes London–Dammam Flights After 15 Years
Saudia is set to restart direct flights between Dammam and London Heathrow on November 5, 2025, ending a 15-year hiatus and signaling renewed demand in the rapidly expanding UK–Saudi Arabia travel corridor. The SkyTeam carrier will operate the route three times weekly using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, reallocating capacity from its current Jeddah–London service by trimming three frequencies from that 14-times-weekly route.
The return of flights to Dammam, Saudi Arabia’s key commercial hub in the Eastern Province, reflects Saudia’s strategic realignment amid a surge in UK–Saudi traffic. According to OAG data, weekly seat capacity between the two countries has jumped by 150% since July 2019, rising from 18,900 to over 47,200 in July 2025. Saudia now operates 53 roundtrips per week, offering 32,200 seats and commanding a 68% market share.
The resumption comes as competition intensifies. SkyTeam partner Virgin Atlantic launched daily flights between London Heathrow and Riyadh on March 30, while Wizz Air entered the market with daily Gatwick–Jeddah service on March 31. Wizz will also begin daily flights to Medina from August 1, becoming the only airline offering nonstop service between the UK and the holy city. In 2024, London–Medina ranked as the third busiest UK–Saudi city pair with 166,300 passengers, behind London–Jeddah and London–Riyadh.
Overall UK–Saudi Arabia air traffic reached 1.5 million passengers in 2024, up 26% from 2023 and 76% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. While 41% of travelers flew nonstop, many connected through hubs like Doha and Istanbul.
This aviation growth reflects stronger economic ties between the two nations. UK trade with Saudi Arabia totaled £16.1 billion ($21.9 billion) in 2024, making the Kingdom the UK’s 24th-largest trading partner. Despite a 6.4% decline in total trade, UK exports to Saudi Arabia grew 1.7%, boosted in part by travel and tourism.
Saudia’s network strategy aligns with Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s national transformation plan aimed at diversifying the economy and positioning Saudi Arabia as a global aviation hub. The initiative targets serving 250 destinations and tripling passenger numbers by 2030. Saudia recently reaffirmed its forecast of 7% to 8% traffic growth in 2025, even after reassessing regional demand following June’s Iran–Israel missile exchanges.
With strong demand, expanding competition, and increasing global ties, Saudia’s return to the London–Dammam route reinforces its central role in the Kingdom’s broader aviation ambitions.
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