Dubai's budget carrier set to expand Saudi services

Low cost carrier flydubai said on Wednesday that Taif will become its seventh destination in Saudi Arabia when it launches services on February 1. In tandem with the Taif launch, flydubai said it was also increasing the frequency of flights to other cities in the kingdom. The airline said it now flies twice daily to Dammam and Riyadh following increasing demand for flights between Dubai and two of Saudi's main business hubs. flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "We are grateful to the Saudi authorities for their continued support of flydubai. "Taif marks our seventh destination in Saudi Arabia and is part of our strategy to connect the UAE to destinations previously under-served by direct air links. "By continuing to identify emerging cities such as Taif, we hope to continue promoting new avenues for trade and commercial ties across our network." Situated 1,700m above sea level in the Hejaz province, Taif is gaining prominence around the region as an alternative short-holiday destination. It is also an alternative gateway for travellers to the holy city. With the launch of operations to Taif, flydubai will operate a total of 55 weekly flights to destinations across the kingdom. Flights to Taif will operate three times a week and one way fares from Dubai to Taif start at AED570.