Singapore Airlines (SIA) is set to begin non-stop flights four times a week between Singapore and Riyadh in June 2026, marking the airline’s return to the Saudi capital after a 12-year absence.
The last time the airline operated in Riyadh was from 2008 to 2014, when it left the market due to poor commercial results and low demand at that time.
The upcoming relaunch will therefore be SIA Group’s second attempt at this route, but the market conditions are significantly different now. Unlike the previous services that included stopovers, the new Singapore–Riyadh route will be non-stop.
“Our return to Riyadh comes amid its thriving business environment and ambitious development, which make it one of the Middle East’s most dynamic cities,” Mr Lee Lik Hsin, Chief Commercial Officer of Singapore Airlines, announced in a statement, published on February 2, 2026. “Beyond a new destination, this service will potentially allow us to work with our partners to offer our customers additional travel options across the region.”
The outbound flight, SQ498, will leave Singapore for Riyadh on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 18:20 local time. The return flight, SQ499, will depart Riyadh for Singapore on the same days at 23:00 local time.
The airline said it will use the medium-haul version of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft for this route, which has a configuration of 303 seats divided into two classes: 40 in Business Class and 263 in Economy Class.
Riyadh will be the second destination for the SIA Group in Saudi Arabia, adding to low-cost carrier Scoot’s four-times weekly flights to Jeddah.
Currently, Singapore Airlines and Scoot serve over 120 destinations worldwide. Operating from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), the SIA Group offers global connectivity across Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and North America.
