Saudi Arabia embarks on investment programme to support business aviation in the Kingdom

January 24, 2025

An “unprecedented investment programme” is underway in Saudia Arabia to support the impressive growth in business jet flights, which rose 24% in 2024.
Saudi Arabia recorded 23,612 business jet flights in 2024, an increase of more than 4,600 flights from the 19,000 business jet flights flown in 2023. Domestic flights rose 26% to 9,206, while international flights rose 15% to 14,406.
The “thriving business jet sector” underpins Saudi Arabia’s luxury tourism and business sector, according to Mohammed Alkhuraisi, the UAE’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) executive vice president of strategy and business. He added: “To build on the record business jet growth achieved in 2024, an unprecedented investment programme is underway to ensure the Kingdom offers unparalleled business jet aviation infrastructure and services.”
Global aviation hub
Under its Vision 2030, which aims to establish the Kingdom as a global aviation hub, Saudia Arabia is already investing billions of dollars to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels. As part of this plan includes an overhaul of the country’s airports, including the privatisation of 27 airports and the opening of multiple new air transport hubs. The Red Sea International Airport opened in 2024, while Neom Bay Airport in the northern region of Sharma opened in 2019. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s US$50 billion King Salman Airport which will replace the existing King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, is projected to handle 300 million passengers by 2030 and is slated to open by the end of the decade, while the new Abha Airport will increase its capacity to 13 million passengers annually upon completion in 2028.
“Saudi Arabia’s General Aviation Roadmap is opening the Kingdom’s business aviation sector to the world,” continued Alkhuraisi. “It will offer global business aviation investors, operators, manufacturers and service providers the chance to be part of a $2 billion aviation opportunity.”
Record growth
Growth in the Kingdom’s business aviation activity in 2024 was led by Saudi Arabia’s airports, King Abudlaziz in Jeddah, which saw a 30% increase in business jet traffic, while King Khalid Airport recorded a 22% rise and King Fahd Airport in Dammam saw a 7% increase.