ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s cash-strapped national carrier, says it plans to boost the number of flights it operates to Saudi Arabia to more than 60 a week.
The airline, which is struggling servicing its debt, is looking to business growth in the Kingdom, with routes to the Kingdom its largest source of revenues.
“PIA has an aggressive plan to boost its presence in Saudi Arabia. We will be increasing our flights to more than 60 per week and opening new destinations,” Musharraf Rasool Cyan, the president and CEO of PIA, told Arab News.
He was speaking on the eve of the newspaper’s launch of its Pakistan digital edition, www.arabnews.pk.
Cyan has vowed to revive the carrier, which the Pakistan government has opted to privatize in a bid to recover from heavy losses the airline has amassed over many years.
He said Saudi Arabia has always been very important to the airline, which currently has 55 weekly flights to the Kingdom. It flies to four destinations, with 28 flights a week to Jeddah, 10 to Dammam, nine to Madinah and eight to Riyadh.
Cyan said that by mid-2018, PIA will be launching flights to new destination Al-Qassim with three flights per week. In addition to that the carrier will be adding one flight each to existing routes to Jeddah, Madinah and Riyadh.
“This will comprise more than 60 fights to Saudi Arabia thus making PIA the biggest operator from South Asia to Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Cyan said PIA plans to open an office in Taif in western Saudi Arabia very soon. He added that, besides passenger travel, PIA has finalized a plan to enhance its cargo business in Saudi Arabia, something likely to increase trade between the countries.
Pakistan’s PIA outlines ‘aggressive’ plan to boost flights to Saudi Arabia
Pakistan’s PIA outlines ‘aggressive’ plan to boost flights to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows
WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.
The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.
It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.
This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.
He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.
Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.
The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.
The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.
