Europe’s Wizz Air to launch Abu Dhabi carrier next year

Wizz Air, which flies to 44 countries, has operated flights from European cities to Dubai since 2013. (File/AFP)
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Updated 12 December 2019
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Europe’s Wizz Air to launch Abu Dhabi carrier next year

  • Budapest-based Wizz Air said its new carrier aims to offer flights from Europe to the Middle East,
  • Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will be formed via a joint venture with state-owned Abu Dhabi Development Holding

ABU DHABI: European low-cost airline Wizz Air said on Thursday it plans to launch Wizz Air Abu Dhabi in the second half of 2020, its first carrier outside of Europe.

Budapest-based Wizz Air, one of the largest low-cost airlines in Central and Eastern Europe, said its new carrier aims to offer flights from Europe to the Middle East, and longer term to the Indian subcontinent and Africa as well.

“We believe the new airline has the potential to be a significant player in the region,” Wizz Air Holdings Chief Executive Jozsef Varadi said in a statement.

It faces competition, however, as Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways’ low-cost joint venture with Air Arabia is expected to start operations by the second quarter of 2020 from Abu Dhabi.

Wizz Air, which flies to 44 countries, has operated flights from European cities to Dubai since 2013.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will be formed via a joint venture with state-owned Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company PJSC.

With a fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will gain access to markets with 5 billion potential customers across Europe and beyond, Wizz Air said in its statement.


Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

Updated 30 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

RIYADH: Saudi stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index closing down 108.14 points, or 1.03 percent, at 10,381.51.

The broader decline was reflected across major indices. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 0.78 percent to 1,378.00, while Nomu, the parallel market index, fell 1 percent to 23,040.79.

Market breadth was strongly negative on the main board, with 237 stocks falling compared to just 24 gainers. Trading activity remained robust, with 164.7 million shares changing hands and a total traded value of SR3.19 billion ($850.6 million).

Among the gainers, SEDCO Capital REIT Fund led, rising 2.73 percent to SR6.77, followed by Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., which gained 2.69 percent to SR20.20.

National Medical Care Co. added 1.72 percent to close at SR141.60, while Alyamamah Steel Industries Co. and Thimar Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing Co. advanced 1.57 percent and 1.13 percent, respectively.

Losses were led by Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co., which tumbled 8.36 percent to SR24.65. Raoom Trading Co.fell 6.75 percent to SR64.20, while Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. dropped 6.60 percent to SR18.12 and Naqi Water Co. declined 5.51 percent to SR54.00. Gulf General Cooperative Insurance Co. closed 5.44 percent lower at SR3.65.

On the announcement front, Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. signed a multiyear insurance agreement with Saudi Electricity Co. to provide various coverages, expected to positively impact its financial results over the 2025–2026 period. The deal will run for three years and two months and is within the company’s normal course of business.

Meanwhile, Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co. announced a one-year health insurance contract with Saudi National Bank, valued at SR330.2 million, covering the bank’s employees and their families from January 2026. Despite the sizable contract, Bupa Arabia shares fell 0.8 percent to close at SR137, weighed down by the broader market weakness.

In contrast, United Cooperative Assurance Co. revealed an extension of its engineering insurance agreement with Saudi Binladin Group for the Grand Mosque expansion in Makkah. The contract value exceeds 20 percent of the company’s gross written premiums based on its latest audited financials and is expected to support results through 2026. However, the stock came under selling pressure, ending the session down 4.51 percent at SR3.39.