Private jet to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia covers most of the Arabian Peninsula, from the Red Sea coast in the west to the Gulf in the east, and its cities lie hundreds of kilometres apart. Private flights from Europe go to five airports: Riyadh for the ministries, the sovereign funds and the financial district, Jeddah for the west coast and trade, Dammam for the oil and industrial towns of the Eastern Province, and AlUla and Red Sea International for the heritage sites and the island resorts. From central Europe the distance is 3,000-4,500 km, so a midsize jet with long range flies non-stop.

The trip needs more preparation than a flight within Europe. Every passenger needs a visa, the operator needs a landing permit from GACA, the civil aviation authority, and alcohol may not be brought into the country, not even on board. As a broker, we collect offers from European and Gulf operators that fly to the kingdom on your date and coordinate the permit, the handling and the car.

Send the route, the dates, the number of passengers and the cities you need to reach, and a consultant replies with aircraft options, the permit timing and a price.

Why clients fly privately to Saudi Arabia

Flight times from Europe

Times for the Praetor 500, the first column of the main price table, including taxi, climb and descent:

The west of Saudi Arabia is several hundred kilometres closer to Europe than the capital or the Gulf coast, so AlUla and the Red Sea are the shortest sectors. The times assume the straight line, which crosses airspace that European operators avoid in line with the conflict-zone bulletins; the real route runs over the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt or Jordan and is often longer, and the exact time comes from the flight plan for the day. From Cyprus the trip is short: Larnaca - Jeddah takes 2:27 h.

What a private flight to Saudi Arabia costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport, plus the landing permit, handling, airport charges and taxes. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row, and the rows go to different airports to show how the distance changes the price.

From the European hubs

Vienna - AlUla is the lowest fare from a main hub at EUR 28,000 in a Praetor 500, and Milan - Red Sea International costs EUR 29,000. The capital costs more because it lies further east: EUR 33,000 from Munich and EUR 38,000 from London in the same aircraft. The Challenger 650 seats up to 12 and costs EUR 60,000 from London to Riyadh.

From southern and eastern Europe

From Greece, Istanbul, Bucharest, Sofia and Budapest a light jet reaches the kingdom without a stop; from Rome and Warsaw the Phenom 300 would need fuel on the way, so those rows start with the midsize column:

Athens - AlUla takes 2:57 h and costs EUR 17,000 in a Phenom 300, and Istanbul - Riyadh EUR 19,500. Rome - Jeddah and Warsaw - Red Sea International both cost EUR 29,000 in a Praetor 500.

Inside the kingdom and from the Gulf

Domestic legs between Saudi airports with a foreign-registered aircraft are approved by GACA case by case, so a programme with several cities is filed as a whole from the start; sometimes a Saudi operator flies the domestic part. Short international legs need their own permits on both sides. Indicative prices:

Riyadh - Jeddah takes 1:41 h in a Citation CJ3 for EUR 10,500, and Riyadh - Dammam 0:59 h for EUR 8,500. From Jeddah a light jet reaches AlUla in 1:15 h and Red Sea International in 1:11 h. Neighbouring capitals are close: Doha - Riyadh takes 1:11 h, Dubai - Riyadh 1:43 h. See also Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.

From North America

The Global 7500 flies New York - Riyadh non-stop in 12:09 h for EUR 170,000; the Challenger 650 and the Falcon 7X stop once for fuel on this distance.

The season and the base of the nearest free aircraft move the price. On a sector of five to seven hours the empty positioning of the aircraft is a large part of the price, so for a stay of two or three days we compare letting the aircraft wait in the country with two separate one-way trips. Overflight fees, crew hotels and, with some operators, a war-risk insurance surcharge are added to the table price, and conference weeks cost more. The departure country adds its own taxes: France about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet and EUR 675 on a turboprop, the distance-based rate for flights beyond Europe (about EUR 420 on a jet within it), Italy EUR 200 per passenger on sectors over 1,500 km, charged on departures from and arrivals in Italy, Austria EUR 12. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, and the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more. British Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t, the higher private-jet rate applies to aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, and other jets pay the standard rate of their distance band. Sweden has no passenger tax. Saudi charges and the permit are listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three trips worked through

Price per person

The aircraft is hired as a whole, so the share per seat falls with every extra passenger. Shares from the main table, without taxes and visas:

Calculator

For another Saudi airport or a return trip, the calculator sends an estimate to your e-mail:

Airports and business aviation terminals

Business jets from Europe land mostly in Riyadh and Jeddah, both open around the clock with terminals for private passengers. Dammam serves the Eastern Province, and AlUla and Red Sea International the tourist regions of the north-west. Every airport needs a handling agent, and the permit names the airport, so a change of destination means a new request.

Riyadh lies more than 600 m above the sea, and from June to August the temperature inland often passes 45 °C. Heat and altitude limit the take-off weight, so departures from the capital are planned for the night or the early morning. Dust storms over the central plateau can reduce visibility for a few hours; when one is forecast, the arrival is moved.

From the airport to the address

Which aircraft for which distance

Runways never limit the choice at the main airports: all have 3,000 m or more. The distance and the summer heat decide, and a full cabin with luggage may need a larger class than the map suggests. Seat plans are in the catalogue sections midsize jets and heavy jets.

Questions about the aircraft, the permit or a route with several cities? Leave a number and a consultant calls you back.

When to fly: the year month by month

The best months are November to March, when days are warm and desert nights cool; AlUla and the Red Sea resorts have their main season then, and most conferences and events in the capital fall in the same period. Empty Legs are most frequent after the October conference week, when jets return to Europe, and from May to September, when Gulf-based aircraft fly north with their owners or for maintenance. Ramadan and the pilgrimage move about 11 days earlier each year, so we check the dates before booking: during the hajj weeks Jeddah and Medina are very busy, access for other travellers can be limited, and arrivals are usually planned through Riyadh.

Empty Legs between Saudi Arabia and Europe

Empty Legs are positioning sectors flown without passengers and offered below the normal fare. On a sector of five or six hours the saving is large, but the GACA permit and every passenger's e-visa are needed as for any other flight, so it works only with documents ready. Typical directions:

The operator fixes the date and time and can withdraw the leg if the original booking changes. Mail the route and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights; we let you know as soon as a suitable leg appears.

Pets: cats possible, dogs rarely

The Saudi rules are among the strictest in the region. If the animal is admitted, it travels in the cabin beside you, and the operator must approve it in advance:

• An import permit for 30 days, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture on its Anaam platform; the animal must arrive at the airport named in the permit, and the application is usually made by a person or company in the kingdom.
• Dogs are admitted only as hunting, guard or assistance dogs, and pit bulls, Rottweilers, boxers, mastiffs and tosas fall under extra restrictions.
• For a cat: microchip, a health certificate signed by a government vet, and a rabies vaccination that stays valid at least six months beyond arrival.
• The kingdom is not on the EU list of approved countries, so the return to the EU needs a rabies antibody test with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml; taken before departure and recorded in the pet passport, it avoids the three-month wait, and the animal re-enters at an EU airport designated for pets.

Visas, permits and customs

Before departure

• E-visa approved for every passenger and passports valid for six months.
• Passport and visa numbers sent to us at least three Saudi working days before the flight.
• The host or receiving company in the kingdom, in case GACA requires a sponsor.
• Catering ordered without alcohol or pork, and nothing alcoholic in the luggage.
• Prescriptions with a doctor's letter in English.
• The cities on the programme, so domestic legs are filed together with the arrival.
• Return time planned around the Friday-Saturday weekend.

How to book

1. Send the departure airport, the dates, the number of passengers and the cities in the kingdom, with the visa status of each passenger.
2. We choose the airport for each address, check GACA's working days against your date and select a midsize, super midsize or heavy jet for the distance and the season.
3. You receive aircraft options from several operators with prices, flight times, the permit timing and, for domestic legs, the approval route.
4. After you sign and pay, the operator files the landing permit and the handler books the slot, the terminal and the car.
5. On the day, the handler meets you at the private terminal for passport and customs, and the car waits outside.

Questions about private flights to Saudi Arabia

• • How much does a private jet to Saudi Arabia cost?

  • From the European hubs a Praetor 500 costs from EUR 28,000 (Vienna - AlUla) and EUR 38,000 from London to Riyadh, one way for the whole aircraft. From Athens a Phenom 300 to AlUla costs EUR 17,000. The quote adds the permit, handling and taxes.

• • Which airport should we choose?

  • Riyadh for the capital, Jeddah for the west coast, Dammam for the Eastern Province, AlUla for Hegra and Red Sea International for the island resorts. The address decides.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • London Farnborough - Riyadh takes 6:42 h non-stop in a Praetor 500 and 6:20 h in a Challenger 650 on the straight line; routing around closed airspace can make it longer.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes. Citizens of EU countries and the UK can apply online for an e-visa, valid for a year with stays of up to 90 days; passports must be valid for six months.

• • How long does the landing permit take?

  • About three Saudi working days, Sunday to Thursday. A request sent on Thursday waits until Sunday.

• • Can the same aircraft fly us between Saudi cities?

  • Yes, after GACA approval of each domestic leg, which is decided case by case; sometimes a Saudi operator flies that part. We file the whole programme together.

• • Is the airspace open?

  • Saudi airspace and airports are open, but European safety bulletins advise operators to avoid certain parts of it. Each flight is confirmed on the bulletins, the operator's risk assessment and insurance for the date.

• • Can we have alcohol on board?

  • No. Alcohol may not be brought into the country, even on a private jet, and the bar is sealed after landing.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Usually not: the rules admit dogs only for hunting, guarding or assistance. A cat is possible with the Anaam permit, a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a government vet's certificate.

• • When is the best time to go?

  • November to March, when days are warm and nights cool. From June to August inland temperatures often pass 45 °C, and flights leave at night.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Riyadh?

  • Yes, mostly after the October conference week and in summer, when Gulf-based jets fly north. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.