flydubai ventures into the Saudi Eastern Province

flydubai, the fastest growing start-up airline in the world, added to its expanding network this week with the announcement of new flights to Dammam, KSA. With the new route, its 41st, flydubai enters the Eastern Province, the most important oil producing region in the world and of substantial commercial and economic significance to international trade.

Commencing on 17 July, 2011, flights will operate on a daily basis between Dubai’s Terminal 2 and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. flydubai now links the UAE to six major commercial, tourist industrial and political hubs in the Kingdom - Riyadh, Jeddah, Gassim, Yanbu, Abha and Dammam.

flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the Saudi authorities. Thanks to their strong support, the UAE is now connected to six key cities in the Kingdom. Dubai and Dammam are two cities linked not just by language and culture but by growing economic ambitions. Our new route will not only provide travellers between cities with a quality and affordable option,  but will also foster greater co-operation in the realm of business and trade, reinforcing existing ties.”

Almost two thousand years old, Dammam attracts visitors for its historic and cultural attractions as well as its vast hydrocarbon reserves. The new route links Dubai to the Eastern Province, which welcomed an estimated 6 million visitors in 2009, from the local, regional and international markets. The third largest city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it is also the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, the national oil company, and is responsible for almost 75 per cent of the Kingdom’s oil-based economy. Dammam is considered a model city having developed its infrastructure and standard of living over the years and now boasts of some of the best examples in hospitality, industry and urban planning in the region.

In recent years, Dammam along with other cities in the Eastern Province – Dhahran and Al Khobar – has been working to build non-oil based facilities. It already has 40 tourism projects in the works and has established an industrial city that houses around 120 factories. Due to these developments, Dammam has grown into a centre of commerce and science. It is home to more than half a million people and attracts international experts, researchers, engineers, planners and developers on a regular basis.

Flights to Dammam, will operate as follows:

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays: FZ863 to depart Dubai Terminal 2 at 0800hrs, landing in Dammam at 0820hrs local time. The return flight FZ864 will take off at 0905hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1130hrs

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays: FZ865 to Depart Dubai Terminal 2 at 1415hrs, landing in Dammam at 1435hrs local time. The return flight FZ866 will take off at 1520hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1745hrs. 

A one-way fare to Dammam from Dubai starts at SR400 and includes one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg and one small laptop bag or hand bag. Fares from Dammam to Dubai are priced from SR370. Checked baggage starts at SR50 for 20kgs. A seat with extra legroom costs SR100. 

Flights between Dubai and Dammam can be purchased from flydubai’s website (www.flydubai.com), its call centre (+9714 301 0800) and through travel partners