Skift Take
Saudi Arabia is sparing no expense in its aim to attract to 100 million visitors annually by 2030, with the Boeing order poised to be another in a series of huge investments in its tourism infrastructure.
Update: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Sunday the launch of Riyadh Air, a new national airliner that will serve more than 100 destinations, state news agency SPA said.
SPA said that Riyadh Air is expected to add $20 billion to the kingdom’s non-oil GDP growth and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The original story follows:
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is close to a deal for Boeing Co. commercial jets for the fleet of a new national airline, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The aircraft order is valued at $35 billion, the report said, adding that the deal could be announced as soon as Sunday during an official launch of the national airline.
The deal includes wide body jets which are often used for long international flights, the report added.
Boeing and Saudi PIF did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment on the report.
The deal is part of a rapid expansion by the country under a strategy to transform the kingdom into a transport hub and promote tourism.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; editing by Grant McCool and Franklin Paul)
This article was from Reuters and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive Content Marketplace. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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Tags: Boeing, middle east, saudi arabia
Photo credit: A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 2a flown by Saudia, Saudi Arabia's flag carrier. The country is beefing up its aviation infrastructure as part of its strategy to increase tourism. Tony Hisgett / Flickr