Etihad Airways on 12 November inaugurated five weekly Airbus A321 services from Abu Dhabi to Medina, expanding the carrier’s Saudi network to five cities and lifting total weekly Saudi frequencies to 93. The schedule is timed to connect with long-haul arrivals from Asia-Pacific and Europe and will rise to six weekly rotations early next year.
The move is strategically significant for the UAE: Medina is Islam’s second-holiest city and a key gateway for Umrah pilgrims who traditionally transit through Jeddah. By offering a nonstop link, Etihad captures religious traffic while also positioning Abu Dhabi as a convenient stop-over hub where travellers can take advantage of the airline’s free two-night hotel programme and visa-on-arrival for many nationalities.
![Etihad launches direct Abu Dhabi–Medina flights, boosting pilgrim and business traffic]()
Corporate mobility managers see additional upside. Medina hosts growing health-care and knowledge-economy zones, and the new route trims door-to-door travel time for UAE-based project teams to under four hours. Intra-Gulf cargo shippers will also gain belly-hold capacity for pharmaceuticals and perishables bound for Saudi’s western region.
For expatriates and visiting relatives, the flight offers a direct alternative to lengthy land crossings via the Ghuwaifat border. Etihad says introductory fares will start at AED 1,200 return in Economy, with Business Class featuring the carrier’s new narrow-body lie-flat seat.
Companies organising group Umrah travel should note that the route is initially restricted to passengers with valid Saudi tourist or pilgrimage visas; group religious visas must still be processed through approved agents. Etihad is working with Saudi authorities to streamline e-visa validation at Abu Dhabi Airport’s biometric immigration gates.
The move is strategically significant for the UAE: Medina is Islam’s second-holiest city and a key gateway for Umrah pilgrims who traditionally transit through Jeddah. By offering a nonstop link, Etihad captures religious traffic while also positioning Abu Dhabi as a convenient stop-over hub where travellers can take advantage of the airline’s free two-night hotel programme and visa-on-arrival for many nationalities.
Corporate mobility managers see additional upside. Medina hosts growing health-care and knowledge-economy zones, and the new route trims door-to-door travel time for UAE-based project teams to under four hours. Intra-Gulf cargo shippers will also gain belly-hold capacity for pharmaceuticals and perishables bound for Saudi’s western region.
For expatriates and visiting relatives, the flight offers a direct alternative to lengthy land crossings via the Ghuwaifat border. Etihad says introductory fares will start at AED 1,200 return in Economy, with Business Class featuring the carrier’s new narrow-body lie-flat seat.
Companies organising group Umrah travel should note that the route is initially restricted to passengers with valid Saudi tourist or pilgrimage visas; group religious visas must still be processed through approved agents. Etihad is working with Saudi authorities to streamline e-visa validation at Abu Dhabi Airport’s biometric immigration gates.
