Riyadh Air has begun daily flights between Riyadh and Dhaka, the new Saudi carrier’s entry into Bangladesh and its ninth destination since commercial operations started on June 10.
The inaugural service departed King Khalid International Airport (RUH) on the evening of August 7 and landed at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) the following morning.
Flight RX0763 leaves Riyadh at 21:20, arriving at 06:10 the next day, with the return RX0764 departing Dhaka at 07:40 and reaching Riyadh at 10:55. The route is flown daily in both directions with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner configured in four cabins: Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy and Economy.
The Public Investment Fund-owned airline is targeting one of the region’s busiest corridors. IATA data ranked Bangladesh–Saudi Arabia as the ninth-largest country-pair passenger market serving the Middle East in the first quarter of 2026, with demand driven by trade, pilgrimage and the roughly three million Bangladeshi expatriates living and working in the kingdom.
The route offers Bangladeshi travellers direct access for business, leisure, Umrah and Hajj, plus onward connections through Riyadh.
Dhaka is one of four South Asian additions in an August expansion that also brought Mumbai, with Islamabad and Lahore following later in the month.
The carrier, which launched with a route to London Heathrow in June, plans to grow to 22 destinations by March 2027 and more than 100 by the end of the decade.
On board, the 787-9 features Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova in-flight entertainment, mobile-first connectivity, Saudi-made Kayanee amenities and bespoke Disney kits for children.
Tickets are on sale through the Riyadh Air app, riyadhair.com and travel trade partners, with members of the Sfeer loyalty programme earning rewards including complimentary onboard Wi-Fi.
Why it matters for the trade
For agents, Riyadh Air’s arrival adds a second full-service Gulf option on a corridor long served by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and flag carrier Saudia, which should sharpen competition on fares, connectivity and product for a high-volume expatriate and pilgrimage market. The daily frequency and single-carrier onward connections via Riyadh make it a viable alternative to established one-stop routings for clients travelling onward to Europe or elsewhere in the Gulf.
The four-cabin 787-9, with Premium Economy, gives trade partners more fare buckets to sell into a market historically dominated by economy-heavy demand. Worth flagging: Riyadh Air has signalled plans to expand to Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah, so this is likely the first of several Bangladesh touchpoints rather than a standalone route.