Dubai: The budget airline flydubai will launch flights to AlUla (Saudi Arabia) in March, becoming the first UAE carrier to have a direct connection to a destination that is home to a UNESCO heritage site. The carrierwill also resume its operations to Yanbu growing its network in the Kingdom to six points, including Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Riyadh.
Al Ula is a wonder of the world and home to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, Hegra. This site opened to global travellers for the first time in 2020 and visitors can now explore and view the remains of a remarkable and rich historical and archaeological site.
Flights to Yanbu International Airport (YNB), also known as Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport, start on February 24 with a three-time weekly service. Flights to Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Airport (ULH) will start on March 2 and will operate twice a week from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB).
“We are pleased to be able to offer passengers from the UAE and our network the opportunity to visit and explore one of the world’s most beautiful and untouched destinations,” said Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai.
Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations at flydubai, added: “We are looking forward to the start of our twice weekly service to Al Ula from March. This route will be popular for our passengers from the UAE, as well as for travellers from the GCC, Russia and Central Asia. Al Ula offers passengers great options for seeking immersive cultural and historical experiences as well as outdoor adventure activities, especially in the cooler winter season.”
Latest hotel project
Meanwhile, the AlUla Development Company (UDC) and Seera Group Holding will form a joint venture to develop and operate a 215-key Clarion Hotel in the central business district of AlUla. The project cost is estimated at SR170 million and will be developed on 9,000 square metres leased from UDC. The project will primarily aim at “improving the business-related accommodation offering in AlUla as it will witness an increasing demand for business and technical support personnel”.
“The signing of this agreement highlights AlUla Development Company’s commitment and ambition to further develop AlUla as a tourism destination with immense potential,” said Feras Sheraiff, CEO of AlUla Development Company. “This is the first joint venture established by UDC and will pave the way for future cooperation between UDC and private sector companies for the tourism growth of AlUla.”
Equinox Development Management, which falls under the umbrella of the Seera Group, will be responsible for the development of the hotel. Seera Hospitality’s CHME vertical will be responsible for branding and operations.
