Hello from Saudi Arabia! I just flew Saudia’s Airbus A330-300 business class on the 75-minute flight from Jeddah (JED) to Riyadh (RUH), as I continue my review trip. In the last installment, I covered my Saudia Boeing 787-10 business class flight from Amsterdam (AMS), which greatly exceeded my expectations.
Well, I’m happy to report that this flight was excellent as well, so it doesn’t seem that my first flight was just an isolated case of good luck. It really is amazing how high quality short flights are in the Gulf region, especially since this was a flight that departed at 1AM and arrived around 2:30AM.
On this flight I had a flat bed, and and what’s perhaps the best meal I’ve ever had on a short haul flight. Let me share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review.
In this post:
Saudia’s A330 business class cabins are comfortable
Saudia has a fleet of over 30 Airbus A330s, and they’re primarily used for short and medium haul flights. I lucked out and ended up on a plane with the better of the two interiors, featuring 30 business class seats, spread across five rows.
Specifically, this plane had the Collins Aerospace Diamond product, with flat beds in a 2-2-2 configuration. While not ideal for long haul flights, it’s great for missions like this.
While the cabin was nearly full, I had the only two empty seats next to me, one on each side (there’s a reason I always sit in the last row!).
The entertainment selection was also large, though I primarily just watched the map feature, given the short duration of the flight.
Speaking of entertainment, Wi-Fi was from OnAir, which is not only incredibly slow, but the pricing was amusingly bad. $50 for 200MB of data?!?!? And a free messaging plan that gives you… 5MB of data?! How generous! You shouldn’t have… like, you really shouldn’t have bothered. Fortunately these planes should eventually be getting free high speed Wi-Fi, so that should be a big improvement.
Saudia’s short haul business class catering is great
I think Saudia might just have the best catering of any airline in the Gulf region (cue the people suggesting this is a sponsored post or that I’m doing PR for Saudi Arabia, rather than just sharing my honest experience).
Before takeoff, I was offered a pre-departure drink of choice (I opted for the date and banana smoothie), mixed nuts, and my choice of a warm or cold towel. 
Then later in the boarding process, coffee and dates were served (don’t ask about the date being placed directly on the tray table, please, it’s a long story!).
Despite the short 75-minute flight time and 1AM departure, the food was phenomenal. This wasn’t just a snack, but instead, a full meal, and each component was excellent.
There were three different main course options, and I chose the Saudi option, with the main course being a sea bass sayadiah, with crispy onions and toasted pine nuts. I’m not kidding when I say it was one of the best and most flavorful fish dishes I’ve been served on a plane. That was accompanied by a feta salad, a mezze duo, a bread selection, and a dessert consisting of black forest gateau.
Then before landing I had a cup of tea, and that was served with a couple of chocolates.
It really does feel like much of the money that Saudia saves on alcohol goes into upping the catering budget.
Saudia’s cabin crew are top notch
On my previous Saudia flight, I was amazed by how good the service was, so I happy to see that the same was the case on this flight. The business class flight attendants were from Morocco, the Philippines, and Tunisia, and they were lovely.
Despite the short flight time, they personally greeted each passenger upon boarding and familiarized them with the seat, and then before landing they thanked each passenger for flying with Saudia. During the flight, they constantly checked on passengers to see if anyone wanted another drink, more bread, etc.
And they performed all service in a genuinely hospitable and warm way, smiling, taking their time with each passenger, etc.
Bottom line
Saudia’s A330 business class is a comfortable ride, and particularly impressed me for a 75-minute flight departing at 1AM. I had a comfortable flat bed, a very friendly crew, and an excellent meal. If you can get over Saudia’s lack of alcohol (not that this differs between airlines on domestic flights within Saudi Arabia), the carrier really offers some of the best dining I’ve had in business class on any airline.
What do you make of Saudia’s A330 business class?
Better meal on short flight than CX first on HKG to TPE?
And that looks like a massive amount of food
Wow, didn't know Jeddah to Riyadh corridor was so busy, now it makes sense why flights between them are nearly 24/7
How does visa work for domestic flights in Saudi? So essentially you are entering the country and leaving within a connection so you would need a visa or something? Or does Saudi have an arrangement for this sort of connections?
Now you have to tell us about the date being placed directly on the tray table
Yes I was surprised too as Ben is fastidious about cleanliness.
The fish dish is not particularly photogenic, which is often also not the case for the Arabic dishes on eg. Qatar as well, but it does look very interesting. I do like to pick the local specialities when I fly, it is usually the best experience, or at least an option to try something new and different.
How can they serve food on a flight that short? You're barely at cruising altitude.
US carriers did this "back in the day". We have the cheapest catering compared to the rest of the world.
US carriers did this "back in the day". We have the cheapest catering compared to the rest of the world.
They can have the best crew and catering but I don’t support anything from a country that stone to death gay people… let alone visiting the country or flying on its airline…. That’s where I draw the line
Why won’t you stop funding regimes that abuse people, ESPECIALLY LGBT! If you lived there, you would be killed!
Lucky's blog doesn't fund their regime. But for most of us reading this (perhaps even you), we are literally paying taxes to a "regime" that is abusing and killing countless people on a daily basis.
Instead, this is a travel blog, which thankfully still provides an outlet for us to dream beyond the squalor of our own wretched lives and imagine being on a comfortable plane, being served delicious food and interacting with wonderfully...
Lucky's blog doesn't fund their regime. But for most of us reading this (perhaps even you), we are literally paying taxes to a "regime" that is abusing and killing countless people on a daily basis.
Instead, this is a travel blog, which thankfully still provides an outlet for us to dream beyond the squalor of our own wretched lives and imagine being on a comfortable plane, being served delicious food and interacting with wonderfully hospitable people. That's all OMAAT is.. not a killer regime-funding machine.
He is funding abuse of LGBT people by flying to the Middle East. He needs to stop.
He is funding abuse of LGBT people by flying to the Middle East. He needs to stop.
I despise 2-2-2, but, for shorter flights, fine.
Oh come on, how much are the Saudis paying you for this?
Probably as much as you and I are paying him.
They probably pay pretty well.
Ok, you said don't ask, but I that 'date directly on the table,' c'mon... so, there's a story...
Yes, Ben is begging us to ask. So, what's the story?
I feel like he occasionally throws-in something like that just to test whether we actually read every line, check every photo, etc. Don't worry, we can read/see! Bah!
Wow. Impressive. Saudia can serve this on a 75 mins flight. Yet AA serves nothing on a 2.5 hour international flight from Belize to Miami.
@justindev, impressive indeed! I flew Saudia a decade ago, that was a good flight but what I remember the most was the incredible lounge in Riyadh with an amazing buffet. And you're right about AA, shame on USA airlines, and out of curiosity just checked the MIA-BZE round-trip fares on AA for 9/5-9/13 and it's $791 in Basic Economy and $1,516 in Business. They get away with murder. But what can we do, especially on...
@justindev, impressive indeed! I flew Saudia a decade ago, that was a good flight but what I remember the most was the incredible lounge in Riyadh with an amazing buffet. And you're right about AA, shame on USA airlines, and out of curiosity just checked the MIA-BZE round-trip fares on AA for 9/5-9/13 and it's $791 in Basic Economy and $1,516 in Business. They get away with murder. But what can we do, especially on this route? Not much, other than replying to the occasional flight surveys.
"That was accompanied by a feta salad..."
OMG THAT'S DISGUSTING! FETA IS THE CILANTRO OF CHEESE! INEDIBLE! IT'S SMEGMA PRESENTED AS FOOD! NOOOOOOOOOO!
Other than that, Saudia sounds like it's really shaping up to be a world-class carrier, and one suspects that it's due to the competition that Riyadh Air is bringing. Irrespective of the reasons, it's great to hear that Saudia is capable of shaping up and becoming competitive.
I saw their 744s...
"That was accompanied by a feta salad..."
OMG THAT'S DISGUSTING! FETA IS THE CILANTRO OF CHEESE! INEDIBLE! IT'S SMEGMA PRESENTED AS FOOD! NOOOOOOOOOO!
Other than that, Saudia sounds like it's really shaping up to be a world-class carrier, and one suspects that it's due to the competition that Riyadh Air is bringing. Irrespective of the reasons, it's great to hear that Saudia is capable of shaping up and becoming competitive.
I saw their 744s at IAD for years, and always wanted to fly them, but never did due to, well, Saudi Arabia. You've gotten me curious about them now.
@TravelinWilly, eewwwww! I never thought I'd read the S-word on this blog! Are you Ok?
NO! I AM NOT OKAY! I WAS FORCED TO CONTEMPLATE SMEGMA! I MEAN FETA! I HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED!
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!
I like feta.
Oh, Willy, I’m so disappointed. I thought we agreed on nearly everything. Get back to your shack at the edge of the school grounds!
We DO agree on everything, Tim! In this case, we AGREE to disagree on feta!
See? Still friends! :)
Aww.
Aww indeed. Fair enough!
Gotta say, I love a lotta of cheeses, but feta is so boring. I hate when they use it on tacos instead queso fresco. But, then again, nobody should use queso fresco. (Just having fun, our tastes are our tastes, but no crumbly cheese on tacos)
I'm waiting for comments made by americans who thinks that spending 75 minute of their lives without drinking alcohol is unacceptable, and by the way, no, they are not alcoholist!
I'm a proud alcoholist! I would never spend 75 minutes on a plane (or anywhere for that matter) in opposition to alcohol.
Ok I’ll bite. Since this is a flight within the borders of Saudi Arabia I’d imagine all the flights would be alcohol free, regardless of carrier.
The photo of the FAs show 2 beardys , and numerous white napkins hanging on the females .
Most Arab guys aren't that hot, but Saudi guys, especially with beards, ring my bells. I like 'em hairy. There's also the forbidden fruit aspect of them. I just prefer my guys intact in the sack.
@ORD_Is_My_Second_Home Saudi males don’t work as FA’s for Saudia
As Middle Eastern cuisine contains a lot of spice, it does make sense for it to be flavourful when your sense of taste drops in the air.
Once again, I appreciate the creativity and presentation.
Saudia’s crew was awarded best airline staff by Skytax (FWIW) in 2025, so your experience tracks.
It’s also important to point out that Saudia primarily caters to the local population which for years had been poached by other Gulf carriers (Saudis make up QA’s largest premium demographic) so it also makes sense that they’ve stepped up their game, Riyadh air starting operations also helps with competition.
Enjoy your stay in Riyadh, sorry about the...
Saudia’s crew was awarded best airline staff by Skytax (FWIW) in 2025, so your experience tracks.
It’s also important to point out that Saudia primarily caters to the local population which for years had been poached by other Gulf carriers (Saudis make up QA’s largest premium demographic) so it also makes sense that they’ve stepped up their game, Riyadh air starting operations also helps with competition.
Enjoy your stay in Riyadh, sorry about the weather and traffic!
Darn! That meal looks awesome. Now let's hear so many other airlines claiming that it's impossible to serve proper meals on anything shorter than 3 hours... because of safety, passenger feedback, or [insert_your_favorite_reason].
I don't drink so a dry would not bother me. I am glad Saudia put in a lot of effort into their drink options. I also have noticed that many airlines globally also offers a more thoughtful NA menu too even if it's limited to just a few items: ANA, EVA, JetBlue, LOT, SAS, Emirates, and Etihad come to mind. Just flew with ANA and EVA and they had this lovely NA Chardonnay.
If only they served alcohol or allowed you to bring a bottle of wine on the flight.
It would have been better on a 787 instead of Airpus garbage.
Inasmuch as I abstain from alcohol, spending booze money on premium meals is a great idea. Unfortunately, alcohol "fuels" most airlines so this isn't going to fly anywhere else.
Is the timing of this flight purely for connecting to long haul international flights?
@ pstm91 -- Yes, primarily. So many Gulf flights arrive and depart in the middle of the night, so it makes sense. There are also lots of daytime frequencies, though.
1AM in Saudi is like 7PM