Saudi “Flynas”, the Middle East’s First Airline, Joins the World Tourism Organisation

Saudi Arabia’s Flynas, the first low-cost airline in the Middle East, has become an associate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

More than 500 businesses, academic and research institutes, and non-governmental organisations are members of the World Tourism Organisation. Association is one of the most crucial parts of membership since it allows members to discuss, share, and act more to advance sustainable global tourism—where using knowledge and innovation, tourism may become more competitive and responsible—in line with the UN Principles and the Global Code of Tourism Ethics.

The World Tourism Organisation, which established its regional office for the Middle East in Riyadh in 2021, welcomed Flynas as an associate member in 2021. This move helps to emphasise Flynas’s leading position among the top 5 low-cost airlines globally based on Skytrax’s assessment, the most significant global benchmark for evaluating airline companies. It also improves communication, participation, knowledge, cooperation, and support with top-tier tourism organisations.

The CEO and Managing Director of Flynas, Bandar Al-Muhanna, confirmed that Flynas’s membership will solidify the airline’s ranking as the world’s fourth-best low-cost carrier. He also pointed out that the goals of the membership align with Flynas’ sustainability plan, which centres on implementing initiatives that have a long-term effect on the environment, economy, and society.

This move is in line with the announcement that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the 26th session of the World Tourism Organisation’s General Assembly in 2025. This is the first time the Kingdom has hosted a UN assembly, demonstrating the Kingdom’s expanding influence in the world of tourism.

Flynas became the first low-cost airline in the Middle East to join the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world last August when it joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative.