Demand for UK imports in Saudi Arabia 'great’ thanks to e-commerce boom: Virgin Atlantic’s CEO

Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic 

Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Britain-based airline Virgin Atlantic, said there are ample growth prospects for Saudi Arabia, with the launch of the London-Riyadh direct route marking a key milestone in the company’s expansion strategy.

In an interview with Argaam, Weiss added that while the actual start of these direct flights was in September 2024, the launch was officially celebrated last March 31. This route’s performance has been “going very, very well” since its rollout, especially in terms of air cargo.

Virgin Atlantic puts the cargo “in the belly of the plane”, said Weiss, noting that demand for UK imports in Saudi Arabia is “great”, driven by the emergence of global e-commerce.

The British airline is among the “strongest” players in the cargo sector for onward shipping to the US. Moreover, it will work to strengthen the link between Saudi Arabia and the UK, and then to US destinations, according to Weiss.

At present, Virgin Atlantic does not seek to tap a new segment of the import & export market. It rather aims to cater to a sizable, rapidly growing market such as Saudi Arabia, the CEO further stated.

Weiss expects the British airline’s flights to witness great demand from Saudi travelers, given the offering of direct routes to destinations such as New York and Los Angeles, not to mention having a local partner, national flag carrier Saudia.

Annually, about 100,000 seats are booked for the Saudi market, which is characterized by a young demographic, with a population of 38 million people, more than 70% of whom are aged below 35. Consequently, this should boost demand for travel, especially in light of mega tourism projects such as The Red Sea, Diriyah and Qiddiya.