Etihad Airways, the UAE's national carrier, will begin year-round flights to Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast from October 4, 2026, the airline announced in a press release.

The new route will connect Abu Dhabi to Red Sea International Airport, located in Tabuk Province in the kingdom's northwest, with a flight time of just over three hours. The service will start with one flight a week, increasing to two weekly flights from October 25, 2026. The route will be operated by an Airbus A320 configured with eight Business Class seats and 150 in Economy.

According to the airline, the destination features more than 90 islands off Saudi Arabia's northwestern coast, set in shallow water above coral reefs, alongside mangroves, lagoons and inland desert and mountain terrain near the coast. Etihad said accommodation along the coast is spread across small resorts rather than concentrated in one location, and that Red Sea International Airport is situated within the destination itself, allowing arriving passengers to reach their hotels without a lengthy transfer.

The airline said travellers from across its network, including the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent, would be able to reach the Red Sea destination via a single connection through Abu Dhabi. It added that the new route also allows for a two-stop holiday combining the UAE capital with Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, through its Abu Dhabi Stopover programme.

The Red Sea becomes Etihad's sixth destination in Saudi Arabia, joining Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Al Qassim. The airline described Saudi Arabia as one of its largest regional markets, citing year-round business, family and religious travel.

Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said the kind of holiday people would normally take a long-haul flight for — "islands, reefs and relaxation" — is now a short flight from Abu Dhabi and a single connection away from anywhere across the airline's network.

"We are always looking ahead to where our guests will want to travel next and making sure we are there early," Neves said, adding that the Red Sea route was designed so that "the holiday starts on the day guests arrive, not the day after."

The airline said flights on the new route are now open for booking through its website.

Source: PR