flydubai bolsters presence in Saudi Arabia

Taif has been named as flydubai's seventh destination in KSA, strengthening its commitment to the Kingdom and expanding its network across the GCC, Middle East, Africa, Indian Sub-Continent, Asia and Central & Eastern Europe.

flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "We are grateful to the Saudi authorities for their continued support of flydubai. Taif marks our seventh destination in KSA and is part of our strategy to connect the UAE to destinations previously under-served by direct air links. By continuing to identify emerging cities such as Taif, we hope to continue promoting new avenues for trade and commercial ties across our network."

Situated 1,700m above sea level in the Hejaz province, Taif is a local beauty and holiday spot thanks to its temperate climate and beautiful scenery. With tree-lined streets, large souks and almost 3,000 gardens, the city is gaining prominence around the region as an alternative short-holiday destination. Located less than 100km by road from Makkah, Taif is also an alternative gateway for travellers to the holy city.

In tandem with developing its route network, flydubai has underscored the importance of Saudi Arabia to its growth strategy by increasing the frequency of existing operations to the Kingdom. The airline now flies twice daily to Damman and Riyadh following increasing demand for flights between Dubai and two of Saudi's main business hubs.

"Our daily flights to Riyadh and Dammam have seen overwhelming success with business and commercial travellers alike and these extra flights are a direct result of increasing consumer demand for direct, convenient, low-cost links to the Saudi capital and Eastern Province," added Al Ghaith.

With the launch of operations to Taif, flydubai will operate a total of 55 weekly flights to destinations across the Kingdom.

Flight Information

Flights to Taif will operate three times a week and will commence on 1st February 2012. FZ875 is scheduled to depart Dubai Terminal 2 at 1925hrs, landing in Taif Regional Airport at 2130hrs local time. The return flight, FZ876, departs at 2230hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0220hrs the next day. One way fares from Dubai to Taif start at AED 570 and fares from Taif to Dubai start at AED 600.

Fares include one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg and one small laptop bag or hand bag. Checked baggage starts at AED 50 ($14) for 20kgs. A seat with extra legroom costs AED100 ($28) extra.

Flights between Dubai and Taif can be purchased from flydubai's website (www.flydubai.com), its call centre (+971 4231 1000) and through travel partners.