‘Bring it on’: Emirates airline boss welcomes Saudi competition

‘Bring it on’: Emirates airline boss welcomes Saudi competition

The UAE's Emirates airline does not feel threatened by ambitious expansion plans in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and welcomes increased competition, its president said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia has announced a new national carrier, Riyadh Air, and a big new airport in the capital to handle up to 120 million travellers per year.

But Emirates president Tim Clark, who put the cost of the plans at $2.5-3 trillion, said there was a long way to go for Saudi airlines and other competitors, including Air India which ordered 470 Airbus and Boeing planes in February.

"You've now got Saudi Arabia announcing these huge plans, the likes of which nobody's really seen before," Clark told journalists at the Arabian Travel Market industry fair in Dubai.

"They made statements such that they want 100 million tourists into Saudi Arabia by 2030. But you don't need one airline, you need 10 airlines to do that," he added.

Saudia and Riyadh Air, which together announced orders for 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in March, will be complemented by NEOM Airlines, flying from NEOM, a $500 billion futuristic city being built from scratch, from 2024.

With annual air traffic at four billion worldwide before the pandemic, and rising by four-six percent per year, seven