Etihad resumes flights to Madinah in Saudi Arabia after 19-month suspension

The national airline of the UAE will fly from Abu Dhabi to the holy city three times per week starting November 27

Etihad is resuming flights from Abu Dhabi to the holy city of Madinah in Saudi Arabia from November 27. Photo: Mawardi Bahar / Alamy

Etihad Airways will resume flights to Saudi Arabia's Madinah from November 27, after the airline suspended the route in March 2020 owing to Covid-19 flight restrictions.

Travellers who wish to fly from Abu Dhabi to the holy city can travel with Etihad on the resumed services operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Flights will operate on a two-class Airbus A321, with a travel time of around three hours.

All airports in the kingdom are operating at full capacity again following new measures from Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority earlier in October.

“We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Madinah, a city of enormous historic and religious significance for Muslims around the world. Our flights will support the growing demand for religious travel and strengthen the existing air links between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a key travel market for Etihad Airways,” said Fatma Al Mehairi, vice president sales UAE at Etihad Airways.

Flights will depart Abu Dhabi at 10:40am, arriving in the kingdom at 12:40pm. Return flights leave Madinah just after 4pm, landing in the UAE before 7:30pm.

Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Madinah is home to the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and is an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia's two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah are back to full-capacity attendance for vaccinated worshippers, following an easing of restrictions earlier in October.

The resumption of flights to Madinah means that the national airline of the UAE will be operating to four destinations in Saudi Arabia, including Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh.

Passengers flying to Saudi Arabia do not need to quarantine if they are fully immunised with a recognised vaccination. This includes Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Travellers who have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac plus an additional dose of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna can also travel quarantine-free.