Hah, the timing here is kind of funny. Earlier, I wrote about my favorite airline boarding music. Just now, airline startup Riyadh Air has revealed its brand sonic, which will be used as boarding music, in lounges, etc.
In this post:
Riyadh Air introduces “the sound of a new era”
Airline startup Riyadh Air is expected to launch operations later this year, and it’s probably one of the most well funded and ambitious airline startups we’ve ever seen. Executives at the airline have emphasized how the airline will be both detail oriented and digitally advanced.
Along those lines, the company has just revealed its brand sonic, which will be the soundtrack that the airline uses in marketing, and across the passenger experience. You can listen to it below. The airline describes this as “the sound of a new era,” which “beautifully blends our Saudi heritage with our vision for the future of travel.”
This was created in collaboration with The Saudi Commission of Music and The Saudi National Orchestra, and 13 musicians of 12 nationalities came together to create this musical piece. This was composed and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the 94-year-old iconic musical hub in London.
The sonic brand video was filmed in four locations across Saudi Arabia, including a live orchestra on the tarmac, a violin at The Edge of the World, a nay at KAFD, and an oud in Diriyah. This page also has a behind the scenes video about how this was produced.
That’s some beautiful boarding music!
First of all, this is some of the best boarding music I’ve ever heard from an airline — it’s upbeat, it’s relaxing, and it has a cultural element to it.
What stands out to me the most about Riyadh Air releasing its brand sonic is just how much effort the airline is putting into little details. I mean, what airline has its own boarding music track at launch, let alone releases it months before even starting operations?
Typically I’d think such an airline is a joke (like a certain theoretical all-A380 operator that has revealed its champagne collaboration, and plans to have a status match, despite not having requested regulatory approval to launch), but obviously this reflects that Riyadh Air is going all-in on the details of the passenger experience.
The only legitimate airline I can think of in recent times that took a similar approach was Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines.
Of course there are much bigger details to the passenger experience that are yet to be revealed. In particular, I’m very curious to see what Riyadh Air’s onboard experience is like. The airline was supposed to reveal the details of cabins around the middle of 2024, but clearly that has been delayed quite a bit, given delays with 787 deliveries.
Bottom line
Riyadh Air has unveiled its brand sonic, which will be played during boarding, in lounges, etc. As someone who loves airlines with attention to detail and who always notices boarding music, I have to say, the carrier’s track is excellent. Even more than that, I kind of love that the airline released this brand sonic before even revealing what the interiors of aircraft will be like.
What do you make of Riyadh Air’s brand sonic?
So good to see that your are now being cautious after the "Cairo Calamity" Ben. KSA will now be watching you closely and anticipating the responses from all you guys. It seems that no actual "inducements" have yet been offered but it is widely assumed that you are all going to be soon tempted into the web of inducement. Will you fall and deliver? I do hope that you maintain integrity.
I mean, it's...fine. A bit generic, to be honest. Not all that special.
I would love to see an airline, have super subtle and low-key music at the boarding gate, that transitions to slightly louder music on the jet bridge and followed by excellent boarding music on aircraft.
How about they fly a dang passenger first?
Then we can laud them all the focus on minor details (that no one's actually going to be able to enjoy until they do).
Music for elevators? Quite boring…
That’s beautiful. Too bad Saudi Arabia will never be a tourist destination as long as they continue to violate human rights.
Why? That's never stopped Israel, China, USA, Philippines, etc from having massive tourism markets.
This is the funniest line in the universe today. Have you heard of genocidal Israel before lmao They do specifically that daily and they still get snakes like you visiting over for tourism I would like to also spit in your face and anyone who says " human rights " after the genocide in Gaza. Kind regards from Reyadh.
I more interested to see what the network is gonna look like.
Tony Douglas always speaks passionately about the lack of connectivity from Riyadh as well as the number of premium passengers originating from there, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll deal with that in the presence of Saudia which already serves the most profitable routes out of the capital.
My impression (could be wrong) is that Saudis will ficus more on Jeddah and Muslim pilgrims (already a bog market) whereas Riyadh Air will be the big playerin Riyadh.
Riyadh dies have premium demand there, but I think the alcohol ban will weaken its appeal as a connecting airline.
Saudia is Jeddah based and probably half of their business is based on religious/pilgrimage travel to Makkah and Medina. Most of that market is not in the premium segment. The other half of Saudia business is connecting Jeddah and Riyadh to the world.
With the home base of Saudia being in Jeddah and Riyadh being the capital and growing significantly and especially in the premium segment there is room for more. Saudia will focus...
Saudia is Jeddah based and probably half of their business is based on religious/pilgrimage travel to Makkah and Medina. Most of that market is not in the premium segment. The other half of Saudia business is connecting Jeddah and Riyadh to the world.
With the home base of Saudia being in Jeddah and Riyadh being the capital and growing significantly and especially in the premium segment there is room for more. Saudia will focus on Jeddah and Riyadh Air, well, on Riyadh. That's the logic behind establishing a second national carrier.
Saudia already connects Riyadh to high-yield destinations such as London, NYC and the Indian subcontinent. What is like to know is if it it’ll exit Riyadh altogether to make room for Riyadh air or not, because it if it’s the latter then Riyadh air might find itself in an awkward situation.
Very nice
Meanwhile, at Global Airlines HQ lol
This sounded great, looking forward to it. Interesting that the video featured women without head coverings.
I noticed that, too. Which makes me wonder about the airlines attitude towards the West moving forward. Are they going to be more like EK and QR and essentially be Middle Eastern in name only. I'm reluctant to give my business to any country that's a theocracy and I don't see KSA becoming more "global" despite their efforts to become some sort of global hub. Old habits die hard and KSA/Islam has a LOT of habits that simply don't conform to much of the modern world.
Its just hypocrisy.
Some of the most drunk ppl youll ever find are the ones that are all alcohol bad mmkay when at home.
Oh, I know. I've heard from formerly Muslim friends that "Allah can't see you in Dubai". Apparently Dubai is where they go to drink, be gay, etc...essentially do any and everything that is Haram. So yes, very much hypocrisy.
@DCAWABN
Bahrain also. Why do you think they built that bridge between KSA and Bahrain? So Saudi's could have a quick drive to somewhere where they can go club and bar hopping.
Your comment is inappropriate and disrespectful, and obviously you haven't heard of Salman Momika. But you might hear of yourself from another dimension soon. Shut your BS hole.
Genocide is a bad habit yet the Western world conforms lol
Can you shut your BS hole.
No woman has to wear head coverings in Saudi Arabia.
In my office ⅔ of the ladies wear - no hair cover. The other ⅓ is wearing it voluntarily. And that ratio has flipped in just three years. When I came her either was the other way around.
And that development is reflected in every promotional video you will see here.
It depends on the woman in question.
Non-Saudi women aren't expected to cover up. Saudi women in the larger cities (Jeddah, Riyadh, and the Khobar/Dammam area) will cover their hair but not always cover their faces. Outside of those big 3 cities, it is very rare to see a Saudi woman even showing her face.
Of course, it is always interesting to watch Saudi women when traveling to foreign countries...while in flight, there are...
It depends on the woman in question.
Non-Saudi women aren't expected to cover up. Saudi women in the larger cities (Jeddah, Riyadh, and the Khobar/Dammam area) will cover their hair but not always cover their faces. Outside of those big 3 cities, it is very rare to see a Saudi woman even showing her face.
Of course, it is always interesting to watch Saudi women when traveling to foreign countries...while in flight, there are those who will remove their head and face coverings during the flight, and on the way back, those same women will cover up.
So really, it depends on the nationality of the woman and where in Saudi Arabia she is.
Absolutely beautiful