flynas launches program to inspire content creators

The program aims to motivate innovative creators in photography, supporting talents and enriching media content, in addition to promoting prominent historical attractions.
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Updated 07 February 2023

flynas launches program to inspire content creators

Saudi air carrier flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, announced the launch of the People’s Lens Program to inspire content creators interested in travel to go through unique experiences and share their works. The program aims to motivate innovative creators in photography, supporting talents and enriching media content, in addition to promoting the most prominent Saudi and foreign tourist and historical attractions in flynas routes.

People’s Lens Program will provide benefits, including tickets and accommodation for content creators who are active on social media to explore internal and international destinations throughout the year. flynas will publish the content like texts, photos and videos, on the company’s social media platforms and websites.

flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations and has transported more than 60 million passengers since its inception in 2007. It targets reaching 165 direct destinations by 2030 within its expansion strategy launched last year under the slogan “We Connect the World to the Kingdom.” flynas has achieved record operational growth in 2022 compared to 2021.

Content creators who are interested in the program can apply via peopleslens.com, two weeks ahead of the flight date. All applications will go through an evaluation process for acceptance. The eligible applicants will include filmmakers, photographers and travel content creators. They need to provide an online portfolio to prove their specialty. 

Once the application is accepted, the duration of travel, accommodation and trip vouchers are determined by agreement between the two parties. Destinations are changeable.

flynas has been recognized by many international awards, including Skytrax International Award as the “best low-cost airline in the Middle East” in 2022 for the fifth year in a row. It is the highest award given in the aviation sector worldwide since its launch in 1999. flynas was also ranked among Skytrax’s top 10 low-cost airlines in the world.

Meanwhile, flynas won the “Best Low-cost Airline Award in the Middle East” from the World Travel Awards in 2022 for the eighth year in a row.

The airline came in the four-star category, which is the highest category for low-cost airlines in the world, according to an assessment by the nonprofit organization APEX, one of the most significant international airline associations, which included 600 airlines of various categories around the world.


Boulevard Riyadh most popular destination among riders: Uber

Updated 08 March 2023

Boulevard Riyadh most popular destination among riders: Uber

Uber has announced the latest rider trends that reveal the top five destinations visited by riders in the Kingdom during Riyadh Season. Trips completed via the ride-hailing app show Boulevard Riyadh City as the Kingdom’s go-to destination during the annual entertainment festival.

According to Uber, between Oct. 21, 2022 and March 2, more than 70,000 riders have taken a trip to Boulevard Riyadh City, accounting for 50 percent of Riyadh Season’s journeys taken via the app. More than 43,000 riders booked trips to Riyadh Front, making the state-of-the-art business and leisure development the second most visited Riyadh Season hotspot.

Attracting 9,000 riders, Winter Wonderland was the third-most visited, with Riyadh Zoo and Al-Murabba — the historic neighborhood and home of Al-Murabba Fort — ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, on the tech company’s list of preferred Riyadh Season destinations.

Other popular destinations include the Groves and Little Riyadh, Qariat Zaman, and Suwaidi Park. Riyadh Imagination Park, as well as Riyadh Sky, Souq Al-Zal, Via Riyadh, and Fan Festival, were also popular among the Kingdom’s riders.

All in all, over the course of 132 days, a total of 170,000 Riyadh Season trips were made by 141,000 riders via the Uber app.

Norhen Ali, head of communications for the Middle East and North Africa, Uber, said: “Underlining the entertaining nature of Riyadh Season and the Saudi capital’s attractions, our data reveals a growing demand for engaging leisure experiences that bring families and communities together. With each passing year, the Kingdom takes more active steps to cater to this demand, delighting citizens and residents across the country.”

Ali added: “In line with Vision 2030, we are fully committed to helping people move reliably, safely and comfortably. We are determined to play our part in steering the Kingdom’s growth and development.”


ALJ launches financing program for Careem Captains

Updated 08 March 2023

ALJ launches financing program for Careem Captains

Abdul Latif Jameel Finance and Careem, the region’s leading multi-service platform, have announced the launch of a financing program designed specifically to allow Saudi Careem Captains in the Kingdom to finance their own cars. Abdul Latif Jameel Finance is opening the door for the Captains to continue earning an income in a reliable manner, by providing a financing solution that allows them to obtain a new vehicle. 

The financing program illustrates Abdul Latif Jameel Finance’s commitment to providing innovative financing solutions to more members of the community. The program provides Careem Captains, many whose main source of income is through the ride-hailing app, with flexible payment plans and installments to obtain any new model from several brands including Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai, Geely, Suzuki and MG vehicles. 

This financing program is also in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 goals and initiatives to support employment rates and improve living standards in the Kingdom.

Dr. Khalid D. Al-Karimy, CEO, Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, said: “At Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, we continuously endeavor to find ways to support our community. We are aware of the various challenges facing self-employed Captains, which is why we have worked on developing this innovative program that will help them reap the full benefits from their work.”

Ahmad Arrabi, general manager of Careem Saudi Arabia, said: “We are excited to cooperate with Abdul Latif Jameel Finance to make it easier for Careem Captains to obtain new models of Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai, Geely, Suzuki and MG vehicles. This cooperation will enable more Saudi nationals to access flexible earnings through the Careem platform.” 

Careem offers Captains in Saudi Arabia 24-hour technical support, special discounts on car cleaning, and in-ride insurance coverage. Careem launched in Saudi Arabia in 2013, commencing operations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Dhahran and Alkhobar before expanding to reach 29 cities across the Kingdom. More than 194,000 Saudi Careem Captains use the app to earn a flexible income and over 75 percent of the Captains in the Kingdom own their cars. To date, Careem Captains have completed more than 250 million trips. In 2022, earnings for Captains in Saudi Arabia totaled over SR529 million ($141 million).


flynas adds 10 new destinations & routes for 2023 summer season

Updated 08 March 2023

flynas adds 10 new destinations & routes for 2023 summer season

Saudi air carrier flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, has announced adding 10 new destinations and routes in Asia and Europe for the 2023 summer season, starting next June, boosting its ever-growing flight network.

Four new destinations will be served out of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, including the Maldives, the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Antalya in Turkiye, and Tivat in Montenegro, the Saudi carrier said.

Six new routes will be launched, including four routes from Dammam to Salalah in Oman, the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Trabzon, and the Albanian capital of Tirana. In addition, two more routes will be operated from Jeddah to Salalah and the Turkish city of Bodrum, flynas added.

Summer destinations and routes already launched as seasonal will be reoperated, including the Czech capital of Prague, Vienna and Salzburg in Austria, the Azeri capital of Baku, Tbilisi and Batumi in Georgia, the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Trabzon and Bodrum in Turkiye, and Salalah in Oman. flynas’ total summer destinations in 2023 stand at 20. 

Bander Almohanna, CEO of flynas, said that the new destinations and routes of the Saudi carrier reflect the company’s commitment to its growth and expansion strategy under the slogan “We Connect the World to the Kingdom” to cement its position as the best low-cost airline in the Middle East and one of the top 10 airlines of its category worldwide.

“This approach is in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the civil aviation strategy to reach 330 million passengers, 250 international destinations, and 100 million tourists annually,” he added.

Almohanna said that flynas posted a record growth in performance and operations during the year 2022, with an increase of 91 percent in the number of passengers to 8.7 million, a surge of 45 percent in the number of flights to 66,000 flights, and a 46 percent seat capacity growth.

“flynas is keen to continue growing in its operations through upscaling its fleet by 50 percent during the current year 2023 compared to 2021, as the number of aircraft increased to 44 in February after taking delivery of the first A320neo out of 19 aircraft of the same model to be delivered during the next 10 months,” the chief executive said. 

Passengers traveling with flynas can book their flights through all booking channels, including www.flynas.com, the flynas app, the call center (920001234), or travel agents.


Oman Air receives final delivery of Boeing 737 MAX 8

Updated 08 March 2023

Oman Air receives final delivery of Boeing 737 MAX 8

Oman Air has announced the delivery of a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 from CDB Aviation. The aircraft is the last in a series of five deliveries contracted as part of a sale and leaseback transaction with the global aircraft lessor, which is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.

Designed to offer exceptional performance, flexibility and efficiency, the 737 Max 8 is equipped with the CFM Leap 1B27 engines and configured with 12 business and 150 economy class seats to support the carrier’s expanding network. Oman Air has been introducing routes throughout the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent, as well as several cities in Europe, South Asia, and Africa, in recent years and is focused on growing additional connectivity to North and South America and Australia through strategic codeshares with its partner airlines.

Abdulaziz Al-Raisi, chief executive of Oman Air, said: “As air travel demand continues to grow post-pandemic, Oman Air has the opportunity to expand progressively. The latest addition to our fleet will serve both domestic and short-to-medium international sectors, further extending our seamless connectivity to a growing number of destinations.”

The addition of the 737 MAX now brings Oman Air’s fleet up to 52 aircraft, including 10 Airbus A330s, 33 Boeing 737s and nine Boeing 787s.


Ericsson, stc to explore cloud RAN, 5G deployment in KSA

Updated 06 March 2023

Ericsson, stc to explore cloud RAN, 5G deployment in KSA

Ericsson and stc have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore deployment options and future network architectures for delivering 5G services. Signed at Mobile World Congress 2023, the MoU seeks to support stc in its goal to seamlessly evolve toward cloud-native technologies and open network designs, thus increasing the flexibility of stc’s 5G infrastructure to accelerate delivery of services while scaling up 5G offerings.

Under this MoU, stc and Ericsson will also examine how future network architectures will enable a variety of new 5G use cases in Saudi Arabia, in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s national objectives to build cutting-edge digital infrastructure. 

stc aims to implement open, resilient, and secure network designs by exploring novel 5G deployment models and different network architectures. This involves driving cloud radio access network discussions and providing the latest Ericsson Fronthaul 6000 solutions. Cloud RAN is a cloud-native software solution that handles compute functionality in the RAN. 

Bader Abdullah Allhieb, infrastructure sector VP, said: “In our journey to provide enhanced 5G services to individuals and businesses across Saudi Arabia in line with Saudi Vision 2030, we are constantly exploring future network architectures based on the principles of openness, intelligence, automation and security. In particular, the cloudification of RAN opens exciting opportunities for us and our customers. We look forward to collaborating with Ericsson to explore new models for network performance while ensuring the operational excellence that our customers expect from stc.” 

Håkan Cervell, vice president and head of customer unit stc, Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “We are pleased to sign the memorandum of understanding with stc, to explore how the adoption of cloud RAN solutions can help stc optimize their 5G bandwidth, operate networks more efficiently, and improve overall network performance. We look forward to collaborating with stc to identify new ways of deploying cloud-native networks virtually everywhere, on any cloud, and any server platform for increased network flexibility, faster delivery of services and greater scalability.” 

Ericsson and stc started collaborating on 5G technology in 2019 and continue today with the goal of rapidly promoting the adoption of 5G in the region and accelerating the Kingdom’s digital age.