Singapore Airlines has announced it will return to Riyadh after a 12-year absence, launching four-times weekly non-stop flights to the Saudi capital just four months from now, on 2nd June 2026. The resumption will mark the airline’s second attempt at serving the Riyadh market.
SIA previously operated to the city between December 2008 and September 2014, before withdrawing due to weak performance.
The schedule
The revived Riyadh service will operate on a non-stop basis, unlike the airline’s previous stopover configurations. SIA will deploy the Airbus A350 Medium Haul, featuring 303 seats across two cabins: 40 in Business Class (2018 RJ) and 263 in Economy Class.
Here’s how the schedule for SIA’s upcoming non-stop Singapore – Riyadh flights will look from June 2026.
Singapore Riyadh
2 June 2026 – 24 October 2026
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
SQ498 A350 Medium Haul |
||||||||
| SIN 18:20 |
RUH 21:45 |
||||||||
| Duration: 08:25 | |||||||||
Riyadh Singapore
2 June 2026 – 24 October 2026
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
SQ499 A350 Medium Haul |
||||||||
| RUH 23:00 |
SIN 12:15* |
||||||||
| Duration: 08:15 | |||||||||
* Next day
Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Flight SQ498 will depart Singapore at 6.20pm, arriving in Riyadh at 9.45pm the same evening. The return SQ499 departs Riyadh at 11pm, landing back in Singapore at 12.15pm the following day.
From 25th October 2026, timings will adjust slightly for the winter season, with departures from Singapore at 5.40pm and from Riyadh at 10.50pm, as shown below.
Singapore Riyadh
25 October 2026 – 27 March 2027
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
SQ498 A350 Medium Haul |
||||||||
| SIN 17:40 |
RUH 21:35 |
||||||||
| Duration: 08:55 | |||||||||
Riyadh Singapore
25 October 2026 – 27 March 2027
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
SQ499 A350 Medium Haul |
||||||||
| RUH 22:50 |
SIN 11:50* |
||||||||
| Duration: 08:00 | |||||||||
* Next day
SIA’s longest 2018 Regional Business Class route
Riyadh will be the carrier’s longest flight using the 2018 Regional Business Class product, which offers direct aisle access in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, but has narrower seats than its long-haul Business Class offerings.
(Photo: MainlyMiles)
Currently Brisbane takes that accolade at 8 hours, but with Riyadh flights stretching to 8 hours 25 minutes, and even to 8 hours 55 minutes in the summer months, this one will take the crown as the longest for this cabin product.
Will the flights serve alcohol?
If it’s less the seat type you’re worried about and more whether you’ll have to abstain from a drink for eight hours – don’t worry.
International airlines that serve alcohol, including Singapore Airlines, typically only refrain from doing so when flying in Saudi airspace. This applies across the board to carriers like British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, and others operating to the Kingdom.
In practice, this means alcohol service is available for the majority of the flight, with cabin crew collecting glasses and stopping service approximately an hour before landing in Riyadh. On the return journey, alcohol service resumes once the aircraft departs Saudi airspace.
(Photo: MainlyMiles)
There has been considerable speculation about Saudi Arabia adopting a more liberal approach to alcohol, similar to the UAE model, particularly ahead of hosting Expo 2030 in Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA World Cup, but any timeline there remains uncertain.
History of SIA’s Riyadh service
Singapore Airlines first launched Riyadh flights on 14th December 2008, operating four times per week with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The initial routing saw flights operate via Dubai in both directions.
The service was later reconfigured to a three-times weekly routing that extended to Jeddah: Singapore to Riyadh to Jeddah, then back to Riyadh and Singapore, using smaller Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
However, the route struggled commercially and was terminated on 28th September 2014.
Market dynamics
Lee Lik Hsin, Singapore Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, attributed the route’s return to changing market conditions.
“Our return to Riyadh comes amid its thriving business environment and ambitious development, which make it one of the Middle East’s most dynamic cities”.
Lee Lik Hsin, CCO, Singapore Airlines
Lee also noted potential for partnership opportunities.
“Beyond a new destination, this service will potentially allow us to work with our partners to offer our customers additional travel options across the region”.
Lee Lik Hsin, CCO, Singapore Airlines
New startup Riyadh Air signed a strategic partnership with Singapore Airlines back in June 2024, highlighting “potential areas of commercial cooperation, including codeshare arrangements, reciprocal benefits for their frequent flyer programme members, cargo services, customer experience, and digital innovation”.
(Photo: Riyadh Air)
Riyadh becomes the SIA Group’s second Saudi Arabian destination, joining Scoot’s four-times weekly service to Jeddah.
The capital serves as the Kingdom’s administrative and financial centre, offering attractions ranging from historic sites like Diriyah and Masmak Fortress to world-class museums, luxury hotels, and extensive shopping and dining options.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Ticket sales including KrisFlyer award redemptions are expected to begin progressively through Singapore Airlines’ distribution channels in the coming days.
KrisFlyer awards
Riyadh will fall into Zone 10 on the KrisFlyer award chart, meaning redemption seats on these flights will start at 32,000 miles each way.
| KrisFlyer Redemption Rates One-Way Singapore ⇄ Riyadh |
||||
| Airline / Cabin | Saver | Advantage | Access | |
 |
Economy | 32,000 |
66,500 |
86,500 |
|
Business | 68,000 |
122,000 |
152,500 to 244,000 |
Interestingly SIA will offer the only KrisFlyer award option within the group to and from Saudi Arabia – Scoot excludes its Jeddah service from redemption bookings.
Summary
Singapore Airlines will resume Riyadh flights from 2nd June 2026 with four-times weekly non-stop services using the Airbus A350 Medium Haul.
The route returns after a 12-year absence, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Riyadh becomes the SIA Group’s second destination in Saudi Arabia, alongside Scoot’s Jeddah service.
With Singapore Airlines having signed a strategic partnership with startup carrier Riyadh Air back in June 2024, covering potential codeshare arrangements and frequent flyer benefits, future cooperation between the two airlines should see intra-Gulf connectivity options in due course.
We could even potentially see both carriers operating the Singapore – Riyadh route in future, as the Saudi carrier builds its network.
(Cover Photo: Maxim Grohotov / Shutterstock)
I vividly remember the SIN-RUH flights as I lived in Riyadh and Jeddah at the time. It started as SIN-DXB-RUH and SIN-AUH-JED, then it became the triangle SIN-RUH-JED-SIN which saw AUH become the transit point for SIN-AUH-KWI, then finally SQ pulled out altogether and Scoot took over SIN-JED. UAE was a hub for SQ back then, with DXB and AUH also serving as a transit stops to CAI, IST and ATH.
SQ lacks a Star Alliance partner in the GCC and with EK and QR’s superior connections (and superior product) it is so much easlier to fly by the gulf carriers. With Riyadh Air, SQ can now connect meaningfully onwards. However I suspect Riyadh Air will not focus on intra-GCC traffic and so SQ loyalty pax like me will continue to rely on EK and QR for GCC travels.
RX needs more gulf or domestic destinations for SQ to benefit commercially. But the late arrival into RUH makes me wonder what kind of connections may be available if and when RX makes such announcements.