China and Saudi Arabia open new direct flight between cities
The flight time is about 9 hours
A new passenger air route opens a direct connection between the Chinese city of Shenzhen and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
The first flight carried more than 200 passengers, mainly for business, service and leisure travel, with a load factor of more than 80 per cent.
The air service operates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, with a flight time of about nine hours and 30 minutes. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.
The route is the fifth direct air route from Shenzhen to the Middle East. In addition to Riyadh, Shenzhen also offers direct flights to Cairo, Dubai, Tel Aviv and Tehran, promoting exchanges and co-operation between China and Saudi Arabia in various fields.
Photo: iStock-
![]()
Tourism30.08.26Kyrgyzstan becomes world’s best destination for solo adventure travel in 2026 -
![]()
Tourism28.08.26Foreign tourist arrivals to Russia rise by 20% in first half of 2026 -
![]()
Tourism27.08.26Zimbabwe turns to sport as catalyst for tourism growth in Masvingo -
![]()
Tourism15.08.26Vietnam accelerates smart tourism with AI and digital services -
![]()
Tourism13.08.26Egypt welcomes Russia's decision to launch direct flights to Borg El Arab and El Alamein -
![]()
Tourism12.08.26Ghana records growth in tourism as international arrivals exceed 1.3 million
-
![Vladimir Putin]()
Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia"We are developing mutual trade, which is growing; it increased by over 12 per cent last year. We have a joint commission working in this sphere. Our focus is on agriculture, shipbuilding, information technology and energy, including nuclear power. We have signed a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Indonesia. Jakarta is our reliable and old friend within ASEAN. We are working together at all international platforms, including the UN" -
![Vladimir Putin]()
Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia"More and more Iranian students are choosing Russian education. We are very pleased about this. A great many future doctors are studying in Russia. In the 2025–2026 academic year, the number of Iranian students in Russia approached 10,000, with 802 of them studying at the expense of the Russian state budget" -
![Xi Jinping]()
Xi JinpingPresident of the People’s Republic of China"The foundation of our bilateral relations will only grow stronger, and we will confidently move forward to a better future. […] The striving of nations on our planet for peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit remains unchanged. The vital mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is to maintain stability and promote the development of our region" -
![Alisher Salomov]()
Alisher SalomovAdviser to the Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan"First and foremost, I would like to highlight the importance of this Central Asia–Russia initiative, because environmental problems know no borders, and only a shared understanding of these problems and the search for joint solutions can deliver positive results" -
![Joao Paulo Capobianco]()
Joao Paulo CapobiancoBrazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change"The BRICS countries have a very high level of responsibility because they share an important part of the world's biodiversity, landscapes, populations, food production and water resources. So, we have an opportunity to lead by example. We have our development bank, which can demonstrate and develop new ways of financing programmes. We can reduce the risks for private capital to invest in restoration and efforts to combat desertification"
