Air India and Saudia have inked a comprehensive codeshare agreement that will take effect in February 2026, dramatically expanding city-pair options between India and Saudi Arabia. Under the pact, Saudia will place its ‘SV’ code on Air India flights from Mumbai and Delhi to nine secondary Indian cities, while Air India passengers gain through-ticketing to six Saudi domestic destinations beyond Jeddah and Riyadh—including Dammam and Medina—plus select international routes later in the year.
For Indian corporates, the deal offers same-day connections between tier-2 Indian tech hubs and Saudi economic zones such as NEOM and the King Abdullah Economic City, reducing total journey times by up to five hours compared with separate bookings. Travellers will benefit from single PNRs, through-checked baggage and reciprocal frequent-flyer accrual.
The tie-up underscores Air India’s post-privatisation strategy of leveraging global alliances rather than chasing bilateral capacity alone. For Saudia, the partnership fortifies its presence in a market where it already carries large volumes of VFR traffic and an expanding pilgrim segment.
![Saudia and Air India sign codeshare to widen business-travel options]()
For travellers excited to take advantage of these new links but wary of visa formalities, VisaHQ can simplify the process end-to-end. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step assistance for Saudi e-visas—including the new stop-over options—and can also manage Indian visa applications for Saudi nationals, allowing passengers to focus on itinerary planning instead of paperwork.
Mobility managers should review corporate-preferred carrier lists and fare contracts: the codeshare could unlock lower-fare buckets in global distribution systems when itineraries combine both airlines. Duty-of-care systems will also need to recognise the new flight numbers to ensure journey tracking.
Analysts note that easier access dovetails with Riyadh’s simplified e-visa and stop-over visa schemes for Indians, signalling intensifying economic and tourism links as Saudi Arabia diversifies away from oil.(traveltradejournal.com)
For Indian corporates, the deal offers same-day connections between tier-2 Indian tech hubs and Saudi economic zones such as NEOM and the King Abdullah Economic City, reducing total journey times by up to five hours compared with separate bookings. Travellers will benefit from single PNRs, through-checked baggage and reciprocal frequent-flyer accrual.
The tie-up underscores Air India’s post-privatisation strategy of leveraging global alliances rather than chasing bilateral capacity alone. For Saudia, the partnership fortifies its presence in a market where it already carries large volumes of VFR traffic and an expanding pilgrim segment.
For travellers excited to take advantage of these new links but wary of visa formalities, VisaHQ can simplify the process end-to-end. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step assistance for Saudi e-visas—including the new stop-over options—and can also manage Indian visa applications for Saudi nationals, allowing passengers to focus on itinerary planning instead of paperwork.
Mobility managers should review corporate-preferred carrier lists and fare contracts: the codeshare could unlock lower-fare buckets in global distribution systems when itineraries combine both airlines. Duty-of-care systems will also need to recognise the new flight numbers to ensure journey tracking.
Analysts note that easier access dovetails with Riyadh’s simplified e-visa and stop-over visa schemes for Indians, signalling intensifying economic and tourism links as Saudi Arabia diversifies away from oil.(traveltradejournal.com)
