IBM announced a new agreement with Riyadh Air, which will integrate watsonx, IBM’s portfolio of AI products, and IBM Consulting AI solutions to establish an enterprise-wide AI capability to elevate Riyadh Air guest and employee experiences.  

As Riyadh Air prepares for its inaugural flights in late 2025, the new Saudi Arabian airline sets another key building block of its journey in redefining air travel as the world’s first digital native carrier. 

The announcement took place at the third edition of The FII PRIORITY Miami 2025 Summit, where senior executives from both IBM and Riyadh Air, including Adam Boukadida, Riyadh Air chief financial officer, and Mohamad Ali, SVP and head of IBM Consulting, reaffirmed their commitment to driving innovation in the aviation sector.  

Building a world-class airline requires more than just aircraft and infrastructure; it demands an intelligent digital foundation that anticipates passenger needs, streamlines operations, and empowers employees. Riyadh Air is embracing this challenge by making AI the driving force behind its transformation. 

“Riyadh Air is more than just an airline; it is a gateway to new opportunities for travelers from the Kingdom and beyond,” said Boukadida. “As we move closer to our first flight later in 2025, our vision is to deliver a seamless, world-class travel experience by expanding our reach, pioneering innovations, and redefining industry standards. By deepening our collaboration with IBM, we are harnessing the power of AI, from intelligent customer interactions to optimized flight operations, to set a new benchmark for the future of aviation.” 

This agreement aims to strengthen Riyadh Air’s position as a truly digital-native airline, building on IBM’s AI-driven products and solutions together with IBM Consulting as its lead systems integrator. 

IBM’s watsonx, IBM’s portfolio of AI products will serve as the foundation for Riyadh Air’s AI platform, driving mission-critical functions and fostering open innovation with multi-model AI. The new platform will be built with a focus on  data security, privacy, regulatory compliance, and responsible AI adoption. Riyadh Air will also leverage Agentic AI to deploy autonomous bots to enable seamless and personalized system interactions.

IBM will oversee the installation and deployment of watsonx, as well as develop AI use cases utilizing IBM Garage methodology to drive automation and digital transformation.

With IBM Consulting Advantage, an AI-powered delivery platform, Riyadh Air will deploy AI solutions to boost efficiency and service, including AI-powered Virtual Assistants for customer and employee self-service.

“By embedding watsonx at the core of its operations, Riyadh Air is taking an AI-first approach to redefine air travel and set new industry standards as the world’s first digital-native airline,” said Ali. “Together we are supercharging our teams with AI to enhance traveler experiences, optimize operations, and shape the future of aviation in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”