Customers flying from Jeddah with British Airways (BA) can now relax on board the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft complete with new generation first class cabins. British Airways’ 787-9 aircraft touched down at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah for the first time on Thursday morning.
For customers looking to fly on board BA’s 787-9 from Jeddah, return fares to London are available starting from SR2,435.
The 787-9 is now a mainstay of the expansive BA fleet following the launch of the aircraft on the Delhi route in October 2015.
The UK airline started flying the Dreamliner on two Middle Eastern routes, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, in November last year, which was shortly followed by Kuala Lumpur in December and the Texan city of Austin in February and San Jose, California, in May.
The 787-9 is 20 ft longer than its 787-8 predecessor (of which the airline has eight), so as well as offering World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and Club World (business class), there’s also room for a new First class cabin — a first for the airline’s 787 fleet.
Paolo De Renzis, head of MEA and Central Asia sales for BA, said: “British Airways has a long history of flying to the Kingdom going back to 1965 when we first launched flights to the city. Fast forward to today and our daily flight from Jeddah to London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is now a gateway for thousands of customers who want to explore London, Europe, North America and further afield.
“Our premium options have always received high demand on the Jeddah route. The Dreamliner is a new generation aircraft that is the perfect home for our luxurious new First cabin and the spacious seats and cabin environment offers even more exclusivity and privacy to our Saudi customers,” he added.
BA launches Dreamliner 787-9 with new first class cabins on Jeddah route
BA launches Dreamliner 787-9 with new first class cabins on Jeddah route
25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum
The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.
Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts.
The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies.
The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment.
The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored.
It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track.
In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.
As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs.
This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.
The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts.
The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.
