Saudi Arabia: Reaching for the sky

opinion

by Alasdair Whyte

December 15, 2025

Corporate Jet Investor in Saudi Arabia 2025.

The first Corporate Jet Investor in Saudi Arabia conference took place in December 2025.

It is often said that 25% of the world’s tower cranes are in Dubai. Like 67% of impressive statistics, this has always been false. But that has not stopped it being widely repeated for many years. Saudi Arabia, in fact, now has many more cranes than the United Arab Emirates. Wherever you go in Riyadh you can see them.

The country is working hard to do the same thing with business jets. Saudi Arabia has always been a key business jet market. But as the 250 attendees at the first Corporate Jet Investor in Saudi Arabia conference heard this week, it could be about to really take off again.

There are lots of reasons to be positive about demand. On the macro level you have Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud’s Vision 2030 plan to transform the economy of the country away from oil. This includes diversifying into tourism, sporting events (including boxing and, even, the World Darts Championship), property and mega projects (hence the cranes).

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the country’s aviation regulator, is keen to play its part. It is encouraging the growth of Saudi aviation. This includes business jets. Yes, it is one of the few countries in the world where the country’s aviation regulator recognises what business aviation brings to a country and wants to expand the market. GACA and Matarat, the state airport company are working on expanding FBOs, adding seven dedicated business jet airports in the next decade and trying to grow the fleet of business jets.

Charter market

GACA is also trying to stimulate the domestic charter market. Since May this year, foreign operators can now apply for a three-year licence that allows them to operate charter flights in the country. Vista and Flexjet are the first to get approval but other operators are coming (Vista has already operated almost 50 domestic flights since August).

The past few years have seen Saudi owners selling aircraft and there has been a shortage of charter lift (particularly as government passengers take up much of the capacity). The new rules are great for passengers and charter brokers. But not necessarily for local operators.

“We’re not against competition. We were not afraid of it. But we need fair competition. What’s happening now is not fair,” said one operator. “As Saudi operators we are bombarded with regulations. If they want the international operators to come in, fine. But then apply the same standards to both of us.”

There is, of course, zero chance of other countries or the EU reciprocating and offering them the same rights to fly internally. Everyone in business accepts that competition is good, but no one wants their regulator to open the gates to the barbarians. Local operators can only hope that demand rises as Saudi Arabia’s economy continues to grow.

This could happen. Airbus Corporate Jets this week released data based on polling 13 senior executives at large Saudi Arabian companies and 12 Saudi-based family offices, hedge funds and private equity firms with combined assets under management of $55bn. Over the past two years, 80% of the respondents said their use of corporate jets had increased by between 25% and 50% (the rest had increased by 50% to 75%). All said they expect business aviation usage to grow by at least 25% in the next two years, with 64% expecting to increase of 50% or more.

Awarded concessions

International companies are also keen to help the market grow. Universal Aviation (the FBO chain owned by the Evans family) has been awarded concessions to manage FBOs and ground handling at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Fahd International Airport near Dammam as well as operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

Ireland’s Alliance Aviation will operate the new private aviation hangar at the new AlUla International Airport (AlUla has stunning archaeological sites and is a fast-growing tourist hub). Jetex has been awarded an FBO at Red Sea Airport serving the new holiday destination. The airport authority and GACA are working on other projects. These investments are good for both international and local operators.

You should also not undervalue the experience that local operators have. Saudi has a long heritage in business aviation. Khalid Alnatour, CEO, Aloula Aviation (which began operations in 1934 with a Fairchild 71 aircraft) explained how his company now has a fleet of more than 70 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters supporting oil and gas. The people leading the local aircraft management companies have decades of experience and know how to keep their customers happy.

Saudi Arabia is without doubt one of the most exciting business jet markets in the world. You can see why international operators want to be part of it. You can also understand the frustration amongst local operators. They just want a level playing field. The kingdom is going to need a lot of level playing fields for the 2034 Fifa World Cup.