Saudi Arabian national airline Saudia recently announced that it launched its first direct flight from Jeddah to Dar es Salaam.
The announcement comes days after the Group unveiled its operational plans to fly to 25 new international destinations in three continents around the world.
Saudia will be operating four weekly flights between Jeddah and Dar es Salaam on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
The inaugural Saudia flight SV 463, departed on 26th March 2023 at 1:15 AM from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
A celebration took place at the airport in the presence of the Consul General of the Republic of Tanzania in Jeddah, Mr Habibu Awesi Mohamed and the Chief Commercial Officer of Saudia, Mr Arved Nikolaus Von Zur Muhlen, as well as representatives from the government authorities operating at King Abdulaziz International Airport.
Saudia’s Airbus A320 landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport at 6:15 AM and was greeted with a water salute.
Meanwhile, another celebration was held at Julius Nyerere International Airport to mark the departure of the first flight, SV 462, from Dar es Salaam to Jeddah in the presence of the Minister of Work and Transport in Tanzania, Prof. Makame Mnyaa Mbarawa, the Saudi Deputy Ambassador for Tanzania, Mr Fahad Alharbi, the Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania in Riyadh, H.E. Ali Jabir Mwadini, and Saudia Tanzania Manager, Mr Khalid Alharbi.
Mr Muhlen stated: “The expansion of Saudia’s operations and the launch of new direct flights to Dar es Salaam strengthen the relations between the Kingdom and the United Republic of Tanzania, and will provide a seamless experience for Hajj and Umrah guests from Tanzania. In alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objective of increasing the number of visitors to Saudi Arabia, international expansion is vital to help achieve that goal. Saudia is continuously working to reach new destinations and improve guests’ experiences.”
