Bangladesh’s lucrative Saudi Arabia aviation market is set for fresh competition as Riyadh Air prepares to launch daily flights to Dhaka from August 1, targeting one of South Asia’s busiest expatriate and pilgrimage travel corridors.

The new entrant is expected to tap into a market driven by nearly three million Bangladeshi expatriates living and working in Saudi Arabia, alongside year-round demand generated by labour migration, family visits, and Umrah travel.

“We are now in the final stage of operational preparations. We will begin daily flight operations from August 1,” Md Shohag Hossain, Managing Director of Rhythm Group, told Aviation Express.

He said the airline has already applied for slots to operate seven weekly flights, with the aircraft scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:00 pm before departing directly for Riyadh at 3:00 pm.

Officials familiar with the development said the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has completed all regulatory formalities for Riyadh Air, with the carrier now awaiting final approval of its flight schedule before commercial operations commence.

Initially, Riyadh Air plans to operate daily nonstop flights between Dhaka and Riyadh, directly challenging existing operators including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, and Saudia.

Riyadh Air also plans to expand services to Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah in later phases while evaluating potential direct operations from Sylhet and Chattogram as part of its long-term Bangladesh strategy.