Saudia will fly nonstop between Riyadh and Tokyo starting November 17, 2026, three weekly Boeing 787-9 flights that end a four-year gap since the airline last served Japan. The route was built with the Air Connectivity Program (ACP, the Saudi government body that recruits new international air routes into the Kingdom) and the Saudi Tourism Authority. It lands at Narita’s Terminal 1 every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Japan’s foreign ministry eased its travel warning for Riyadh only three weeks ago. The United States and Iran are still trading strikes. Saudia is betting that pent up demand from its years away will outlast a region that has not fully calmed down.
Three Weekly Flights Will Bridge Riyadh and Narita
The route runs three times a week in each direction aboard Saudia’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The outbound leg to Narita takes roughly 10 hours and 25 minutes. The return to Riyadh runs longer, close to 14 hours, against prevailing winds.
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Operating Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SV824 | Riyadh to Tokyo Narita | 1:00am, Riyadh | 5:25pm, Tokyo (same day) | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| SV825 | Tokyo Narita to Riyadh | 9:30pm, Tokyo | 5:25am, Riyadh (next day) | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
Saudia flies into Narita, one of two airports serving the Japanese capital alongside Haneda, and uses Terminal 1 for both arrivals and departures. Narita sits roughly 60 to 90 minutes from central Tokyo by train, a detail worth weighing for anyone booking a tight connection.
Saudia Already Tried Tokyo and Quietly Left
This is not Saudia’s first attempt at Japan. Wego’s travel blog, citing the airline’s own historical route records, reports that Saudia previously flew to both Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai before discontinuing both services around 2022. Neither the airline nor Saudi aviation authorities explained that decision publicly at the time.
The Air Connectivity Program’s July 15 announcement calls the November launch Saudia’s ‘first scheduled nonstop service between Riyadh and Tokyo,’ a description that sits oddly next to the airline’s own route history. Neither ACP nor Saudia has reconciled the two accounts.
The reversal fits a bigger pattern regardless of the wording. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority is targeting 206 total destinations by the end of 2026, adding more than 30 new routes across the year through Saudia, Riyadh Air, Flynas and flyadeal. Tokyo is one line in a much longer list.
The Case for Betting on Tokyo Right Now
Saudi Arabia hosts the AFC Asian Cup in 2027, and Saudia’s Tokyo route lands more than a year ahead of kickoff, according to The Saudi Times. That gives Japanese supporters, sponsors and broadcasters a full booking cycle to route through Riyadh before the tournament opens.
Saudia frames the move in broader terms than football.
The addition of Tokyo carries strategic importance beyond traditional air connectivity. It creates a new bridge between Saudi Arabia and Japan, supporting the growing relationship between the two countries and their people.
Saudia said in the statement issued Wednesday, first reported by Arab News.
The Air Connectivity Program’s own social post puts a number on that ambition: more than 90,000 annual two-way seats once the route is running at full frequency, the clearest figure yet on how much traffic Riyadh expects to pull from a market it walked away from years ago.
The Saudi Tourism Authority is pairing the launch with its own outreach to unfamiliar markets. The agency has also rolled out an AI powered trip planning guide aimed at first time visitors, a tool built for exactly the kind of long haul, low familiarity market Japan represents.
Japan Only Just Eased Its Warning on Saudi Arabia
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its advisory for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait to Level 3 in March 2026, urging citizens to avoid all travel after the United States and Israel struck Iran. The warning held for three months.
On June 25, the ministry lowered Riyadh and the Eastern Province specifically to Level 2, following an 18 June memorandum easing hostilities between Washington and Tehran. The same decision lowered warnings for the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait too.
Japan kept its strictest Level 4 guidance in place for Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Level 2 still asks travelers to avoid nonessential trips.
What we know:
- Saudia’s Riyadh to Tokyo Narita service launches November 17, 2026, three times a week, using the Boeing 787-9.
- Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs eased its advisory for Riyadh and the Eastern Province from Level 3 to Level 2 on June 25, 2026.
What’s unconfirmed:
- Whether Osaka, the second Japanese city Saudia dropped around 2022, returns to the network in a later phase.
- Whether Japan’s Level 2 advisory holds through November if strikes between the United States and Iran continue.
Saudia has not addressed either question publicly. It opened ticket sales for a November flight the same week wire services were still reporting fresh strikes between the United States and Iran.
Can Saudia’s Growth Outrun Its Reliability Problems?
Saudia is expanding fast while still working through a rough patch at home. On 24 and 25 May 2026, more than 20 flights were cancelled or heavily delayed across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina, with knock on effects reaching connections through Hong Kong and Kuwait.
The broader numbers still look strong. Saudia carried roughly 37 million passengers across more than 203,900 flights in 2025, a 6 percent rise on the year before, with an on time arrival rate of 86.53 percent that ranked second globally, according to an independent fleet and network analysis.
The fleet behind that growth stands at 153 aircraft, with 112 more on order. Saudia is also rolling its new Airbus A321XLR onto medium haul European routes this year, while the newly launched Riyadh Air has opened its own Heathrow seats as it builds toward 100 destinations by 2030.
Riyadh wants to be a hub. Saudia’s May cancellations came less than four months before Wednesday’s Tokyo announcement.
What Happens Between Now and the November Launch
Tickets for the Riyadh to Narita route are already on sale through Saudia’s website and authorized agents, months ahead of the first departure. The airline has not said whether Osaka factors into a later phase of the relaunch.
- Japanese leisure travelers gain a nonstop path into Riyadh’s Diriyah district, AlUla and the Red Sea coast without connecting through Dubai, Doha or Istanbul.
- Saudi travelers heading east get a same carrier option into Tokyo through its autumn and winter tourist season.
- Business and energy delegations between the two countries gain a direct link for the industrial and technology partnerships both governments have been courting.
- Asian Cup 2027 organizers get a full year of lead time to route Japanese supporters and sponsors through the capital before the tournament opens.
Visitors arriving on the new route can also use Saudi Arabia’s bundled visa product that packages flights, hotels and entry permits into a single booking, part of the Kingdom’s push to simplify first time travel from markets that have never had a direct route before.
For now, the only confirmed numbers are the ones Saudia and the Air Connectivity Program have already published: three flights a week, one aircraft type, and a launch date five months out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Do Saudia’s Riyadh to Tokyo Flights Start?
Saudia’s first Riyadh to Tokyo Narita flight is scheduled for November 17, 2026. Tickets are already on sale through Saudia’s website and authorized travel agents, months before the inaugural departure.
How Many Weekly Flights Will Saudia Operate to Tokyo?
Saudia will run three flights each way per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using flight numbers SV824 and SV825 aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Does Saudia Offer Business Class on the Tokyo Route?
Yes. Saudia’s 787-9 fleet carries 24 lie-flat business class seats arranged in a 1-2-1 layout between the aircraft’s first two doors, alongside economy seating for the rest of the cabin.
Is Saudia the Only Airline Flying Nonstop Between Saudi Arabia and Japan?
Yes, for now. Schedule tracking from CAPA, the Centre for Aviation, shows no other carrier operating a nonstop route between the two countries once Saudia’s service begins.
How Long Is the Flight Between Riyadh and Tokyo?
The outbound flight to Narita takes roughly 10 hours and 25 minutes. The return leg to Riyadh runs longer, about 13 hours and 55 minutes.
Do I Need Extra Time to Connect Through Riyadh?
Yes. Travelers connecting onward from King Khalid International Airport should allow at least three hours between flights to clear security screening and reach connecting gates via the terminal transfer buses.
