Etihad Airways inaugurated five weekly Airbus A321 flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina on 12 November, expanding its Saudi network to five cities and 93 weekly frequencies. The schedule is timed for East-West connections, with a sixth rotation to be added early next year.
Medina is Islam’s second-holiest city, and the new link offers UAE-based pilgrims a direct alternative to transiting via Jeddah. Etihad is bundling the route with its free 48-hour stopover programme and leveraging Abu-Dhabi’s visa-on-arrival facility to entice long-haul travellers. Introductory return fares start at AED 1,200.
![Etihad opens nonstop Abu Dhabi–Medina route to capture Umrah and business traffic]()
Corporate mobility managers see upside beyond religious travel. Medina hosts emerging health-care and knowledge-economy zones; door-to-door journey times for UAE project teams drop to under four hours, and additional belly-hold capacity benefits pharma and perishables shippers.
Passengers must hold valid Saudi tourist or pilgrimage visas; group Umrah visas still require agent processing. Etihad is working with Saudi authorities to integrate e-visa validation into Abu-Dhabi Airport’s biometric gates, reducing document checks on departure.
The launch underlines Etihad’s strategy of niche regional expansion to feed its long-haul hub, reinforcing Abu-Dhabi’s position as a North-South transit node and supporting UAE goals to grow religious tourism flows.
Medina is Islam’s second-holiest city, and the new link offers UAE-based pilgrims a direct alternative to transiting via Jeddah. Etihad is bundling the route with its free 48-hour stopover programme and leveraging Abu-Dhabi’s visa-on-arrival facility to entice long-haul travellers. Introductory return fares start at AED 1,200.
Corporate mobility managers see upside beyond religious travel. Medina hosts emerging health-care and knowledge-economy zones; door-to-door journey times for UAE project teams drop to under four hours, and additional belly-hold capacity benefits pharma and perishables shippers.
Passengers must hold valid Saudi tourist or pilgrimage visas; group Umrah visas still require agent processing. Etihad is working with Saudi authorities to integrate e-visa validation into Abu-Dhabi Airport’s biometric gates, reducing document checks on departure.
The launch underlines Etihad’s strategy of niche regional expansion to feed its long-haul hub, reinforcing Abu-Dhabi’s position as a North-South transit node and supporting UAE goals to grow religious tourism flows.
