Saudi Arabia Adds New LCC in Dammam by Air Arabia Partners

On July 20, 2025, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) granted a license to the Air Arabia–led consortium (Nesma Group and KUN Investment Holding) to launch a new low-cost carrier (LCC) in Dammam, operating from King Fahd International Airport (DMM).

The LCC plans to operate 45 Airbus A320-family jets and serve 24 domestic and 57 international destinations by 2030. It is expected to serve up to 10 million passengers annually and create over 2,400 jobs.

This move adds a new player to Saudi Arabia’s low-cost aviation landscape, complementing airlines such as flyadeal, Flynas, and Riyadh Air.

Flights are expected to start in 2026.

This launch is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, which also includes an ongoing $426 million upgrade of Dammam, Al-Ahsa, and Qaisumah airports. The goal is to increase capacity to 32 million passengers annually by 2030.