A Saudi airline is set to launch the first-ever commercial flights to Armenia next month. This development is seen as a significant step towards rapprochement between the two countries, which currently do not have diplomatic relations. 

As Armenia’s Tourism Committee reports, senior executives from Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost carrier based in Riyadh, recently visited Yerevan and met with the head of the Tourism Committee, Sisian Boghossyn.

“Flynas will be launching direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Armenia in June 2023,” the committee announced in a statement. It also said that the two sides discussed potential cooperation in the tourism sectors of Armenia and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia refrained from establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia for decades primarily due to its conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. However, there has been a notable shift in Saudi Arabia’s policy towards Armenia in recent years. This change is believed to be influenced by the strained relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey – an Armenian adversary and key ally of Azerbaijan.