Saudi after Peace Deal with Iran (Thanks for China's Xi Jinping & Wang Yi): Build a New Dubai
在中国的斡旋下伊朗和沙特阿拉伯周五同意恢复外交关系. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (Public Investment Fund (PIF) Investment Fund) is close to a major $35 billion commercial aircraft deal with Boeing for a ‘large number of jets’ for the new Saudi global airline currently referred to as ‘RIA’, now publicly presented "Riyadh Air." PIF has named former Etihad CEO Tony Douglas as CEO of Riyadh Air, the new national airline it has formally launched. In level Low-Cost Carrier, Saudi LCC flynas eyes expansion with overseas units, approved establishing local units in two more countries as part of a plan to become the Middle East’s largest discount airline, not afraid compete with Emirates and Etihad or Airindia Limited (historic-biggest ever purchasing in the world, 470 passenger jets from Boeing Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited and Airbus).
Saudi Arabia is actively upgrading its aviation infrastructure with a goal to become the new Gulf “global transit hub” (in addition to existing nearby hubs Doha and Dubai).
The new airline will be based in Riyadh, and operate separately to the existing flag carrier, SAUDIA SAUDI AIRLINES. Saudi also announced plans to significantly expand Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH). The airport will eventually be renamed King Salman International Airport, an aerotropolis centered around seamless passenger journeys, world-class efficient operations, and innovation, and will be able to accommodate 120 million travelers annually by 2030.
This gigantic plan only 20 hours after China encouraged peace / China helped broker peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
So, airspace in the entire middle east, especially between Saudi and Iran, will be safer for aviation global routes, and set up Riyadh to be a new Dubai. Giant leap for the future after “petrodollar era", and giant leap for the future of tourism business.
Number of international overnight tourists to Dubai in 2019 (pre covid) reaches 16 million. And a new statistic, Dubai welcomes 979.7K overnight visitors in Jan 2022, with the highest number of international guests from Saudi. Imagine if Saudi successfully created its own “a new Dubai.”