Qatar Airways Increases Saudi Arabia Schedule, Launches World Cup Shuttle Service

Qatar Airways is increasing flight frequencies to three destinations in Saudi Arabia and is partnering with four carriers from neighboring countries to offer shuttle services during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

From June 15, the airline said it plans to increase its Saudi Arabia operations to 13X-daily flights in line with the state of Qatar’s ongoing efforts to expand business and tourism links with the country.

Routes from Doha (DOH) to Dammam (DMM) and Jeddah (JED) will rise from 3 to 4X-daily, while service to Medina (MED) grows from 2 to 3X-daily. Qatar Airways will also continue to operate a 2X-daily route to Riyadh (RUH).

Alongside the Saudi Arabia expansion, the airline plans to cooperate with flydubai, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air and Saudia to provide match day shuttle flights during the upcoming World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from Nov. 22 through Dec. 18.

The flights to Doha will be available from Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Muscat and Riyadh, arriving in Qatar’s capital in the morning and leaving in the evening. The services will enable to football supporters to attend matches without the need for an overnight stay.

“The landscape of this tournament gives us the opportunity to spread the business with various regional airlines,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said.

“Our combined bandwidth with flydubai, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air and Saudia will create travel flexibility that will bridge cultures and give fans the chance to explore multiple places in the Middle East.”