Qatar Airways resumes twice-weekly...

The city is the capital of the Aseer region, home to the 12 highest mountain peaks in Saudi

Qatar Airways has resumed flights to Abha, marking its 11th destination in Saudi Arabia.

From 2 January 2025, the airline operates twice-weekly flights between the Qatar capital Doha and Abha, the capital of the mountainous green Aseer region in southwest Saudi.

Flights will depart Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) at 08:35, arriving in Abha (AHB) at 11:15. The return service will leave AHB at 12:15, landing in DOH at 14:45 local time.

Connecting Travel's Editorial Director Sarah Hedley Hymers was invited by international TV channel Euronews to showcase the destination, which is known for its diverse heritage, its 'flower men' and Al Qatt Al Aseeri, a unique female artform recognised by UNESCO. The region is also home to the 12 highest mountain peaks in Saudi, including Soudah Mountain at 3,000 metres above sea level, offering a cooler climate than other parts of the kingdom.

With this new route, Qatar Airways operates more than 140 weekly flights to 11 cities in Saudi, including AlUla, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, NEOM, Qassim, Riyadh, Tabuk, Taif and Yanbu.

The Doha-based carrier, voted the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2024, first began flying to the country (Jeddah) on 29 January 1997.

Commenting on the resumed service, Qatar Airways’ CEO, Engr Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We connect more than 36,000 passengers weekly between Saudi Arabia and Doha. This highlights our commitment to enhancing connectivity, supporting tourism and strengthening economic and cultural ties between our two nations.”

The added route will contribute to the Saudi’s National Tourism Strategy, which aims to promote the exploration of the country;’s diverse regions and attract more than 150 million tourists by 2030.

This includes positioning the Aseer region as an all-year-round tourist destination, with plans to welcome 9.1 million annual visitors to the region by 2030, according to the Aseer Development Authority (ASDA).

“This is more than just a route between two cities, it is a gateway to the future of tourism in Aseer,” said Hatim Al-Harbi, ASDA’s Chief of Tourism. “It is just the beginning of many steps aimed at transforming the region into a thriving destination for visitors from across the world.”

Committed to regional connectivity, Qatar Airways also recently announced the resumption of flights to Syria following a 13-year hiatus. From 7 January 2025, the airline will operate three direct weekly flights between Doha and Damascus.

For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

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