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Qatar Airways brings back four Saudi routes this winter and adds more flights

More than 155 weekly Saudi flights planned, up over 10% from the summer season

Last updated: September 01, 2026 | 16:29

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

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Dubai: Travellers flying between Saudi Arabia and Doha will have more options this winter, with Qatar Airways bringing four destinations back into its network and increasing its overall Saudi schedule to more than 155 flights a week.

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The airline will resume flights to Qassim from October 25, followed by Taif on October 31. Yanbu will return on January 2, 2027, with Tabuk following on January 3.

Each of the four routes will operate twice a week. The expanded winter schedule represents an increase of more than 10% in weekly Saudi services compared with the summer season.

Four routes return

Qassim will be the first destination to return, with an initial Sunday service from October 25. A second weekly flight will begin on Fridays from October 30.

Flights to Taif will operate every Wednesday and Saturday from October 31.

Yanbu services will begin on January 2, 2027, with flights every Wednesday and Saturday, while Tabuk will return from January 3 with services every Thursday and Sunday.

Passengers can already book the returning services through Qatar Airways' website or mobile app.

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More flights between Saudi Arabia and Doha

The additions come after Qatar Airways increased frequencies on some of its busiest Saudi routes.

The airline raised its Riyadh schedule from 35 to 49 weekly flights in June 2026, giving passengers more departure options and connections through Hamad International Airport in Doha.

More than 2.3 million passengers travelled between Saudi Arabia and Qatar Airways' global network over the past 12 months, according to the airline.

Once the four destinations return, Qatar Airways' Saudi network will include Abha, AlUla, Qassim, Dammam, Hail, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, Tabuk, Taif, The Red Sea and Yanbu.

NEOM services are due to resume in the second half of 2027.

Starlink available on key Saudi routes

Passengers travelling on some services between Doha and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam can also access complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi when their flight is operated by an eligible widebody aircraft.

Qatar Airways operated more than 685 Starlink-equipped flights across those three Saudi routes in July 2026 alone.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series. Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question. When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.