AlUla International Airport celebrated a significant achievement last month on February 3, with the launch of Gulf Air’s first flight to AlUla. The direct service between Manama and AlUla started operating twice a week, from February 3 to March 6, and will resume from April 10 to 27, on Gulf Air’s A320-Neo aircraft.
AlUla’s appeal is considerable, with an increasing number of regional and international travellers drawn to its rich heritage, timeless natural beauty, and diverse calendar of events, including the AlUla Arts Festival, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup and Tough Mudder Infinity AlUla in February. The city’s dedication to enhancing its international accessibility is evident in the planned expansion of AlUla International Airport, with aims to raise the annual passenger threshold from 400,000 to six million. This expansion is set to offer more than just increased capacity, delivering a luxury, immersive experience with state-of-the-art facilities. The enhancement of flight operations and airport infrastructure is aligned with AlUla’s ongoing goal to welcome two million visitors annually by 2035, while avoiding over-tourism. This exemplifies a dynamic, ongoing light-touch tourism strategy that ensures the destination’s viability for the future, without compromising on the quality of the visitor experience. Recently, Saudia airlines expanded AlUla’s connectivity to Europe through flights from Paris, with the return of its Paris’ seasonal flight which took off on January 28, 2024. Royal Jordanian contributed to this accessibility with the launch of direct flights from Amman to AlUla, which started from February 16, 2024. Direct flight options to AlUla are also available from Dubai, Doha, and various cities within Saudi Arabia.