RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has signed an agreement to purchase 60 Airbus A321neo single-aisle aircraft, as it plans to commence its operations in 2025. 

According to a press statement, the deal was signed by Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Commercial Aircraft of Airbus, at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in the Kingdom’s capital city.  

Strengthening the operations of Riyadh Air is crucial for Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom is evolving as a global tourism destination, aligned with the economic diversification goals outlined in the Vision 2030 program. 

In September, the airline launched its first non-commercial flight from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport as part of the certification process.

Last year, the airlines had ordered 39 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options for 33 more, thus bringing the estimated fleet capacity to 132.

“We are pleased to embark on another key milestone in Riyadh Air’s journey with the carrier’s second major fleet order, this time in partnership with Airbus,” said Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF and chairman of Riyadh Air. 

He added: “This deal underlines the airline’s ambitious intentions in advance of next year’s launch as it builds a comprehensive international network and establishes Riyadh as a major strategic global aviation hub.”

The Airbus A321neo airliner is widely considered the most sustainable and efficient aircraft in the aviation industry, and it is expected to fulfill Riyadh Air’s ambition to cover 100 destinations worldwide by the end of this decade, the press statement said. 

Riyadh Air added that the new order will also support the airline’s long-term goal of creating 200,000 jobs and delivering enhanced connectivity to Riyadh to the world. 

“This order will not only enable us to support economic growth in the aviation industry, it will also ensure Riyadh Air operates one of the most sustainable fleets in the industry and be instrumental in helping Saudi Arabia achieve its net-zero emissions goals,” said the CEO of Riyadh Air. 

Douglas added: “This deal strongly reinforces the positive economic impact of Saudi Arabia’s newest airline on both a global and local scale and helps facilitate the fast-growing local aviation ecosystem.” 

The chief of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus said that the latest generation A321neo aircraft will bring exceptional efficiency to Riyadh Air’s operations and comfort to its passengers. 

“We look forward to working together to support the incredible growth of Saudi aviation,” added Scherer. 

RIYADH: Esports is emerging as “the mainstream sport of the future,” reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for the industry, according to a top official. 

Speaking during a panel at the Future Investment Initiative, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, emphasized the rapid growth of esports, noting that younger generations view gaming as an integral part of their lives, engaging as players, viewers, professionals, and coaches.  

“They’ve known esports from birth,” he said, contrasting their experience with that of older generations.   

Prince Faisal further added that esports and traditional sports are getting “closer in spirit, in viewership, in participation, and in values.”

He stated that innovations in esports will soon become reality like the Olympics Esports Games.  

“When we talk about hours watched, you’re referring to over 100 million hours for the NFL (National Football League) and 50 million hours for the Olympics. In our recent event at the here in the Esports World Cup, we had 111 million hours watched, not including China. If you include China, that adds another 140 million hours, bringing the total to 250 million hours,” he said. 

Prince Faisal emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s strategy to become a global leader in gaming involves fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, setting measurable goals, and uniting all stakeholders under a shared national vision.   

“We want Saudi Arabia to be a natural part of the conversation,” he said, referring to established esports centers like Japan, South Korea, and the US. “When you think about a career path in this industry, you think about coming to Saudi as much as you think about going to any of those other countries.”  

According to him, the most important aspect of their efforts was launching a gaming and esports authority that would encompass the national strategy for gaming and esports. 

The Kingdom’s strategy includes creating a supportive regulatory environment, establishing key performance indicators to guide progress, and bringing all entities together under “Team Saudi.”   

This unified approach, according to Prince Faisal, will pave the way for Saudi Arabia to become a significant player in the global gaming landscape and make it a destination for talent and innovation in esports.