Saudi Arabia recorded growth across several key service sectors in 2025, including manufacturing, tourism and education, while passenger traffic across its airports reached approximately 141 million, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The authority’s Services Statistics 2025 report showed that the number of producing factories in the Kingdom’s 36 industrial cities rose 18.9 percent from 2024 to reach 4,938.

Tourism-related services also expanded. The number of hotels increased 31.6 percent to 2,847, while hotel room capacity exceeded 491,000, representing annual growth of 23.4 percent.

The Kingdom recorded 3,090 serviced apartments, comprising more than 105,000 units. Travel and tourism agencies increased 16.2 percent to 3,177.

Aviation and education

Saudi Arabia maintained 29 airports in 2025, unchanged from the previous year. Domestic and international flights exceeded 979,000, carrying approximately 141 million passengers.

The number of schools increased 1.9 percent to around 32,000. Girls’ schools accounted for 20,100, up 3.1 percent, while boys’ schools totalled 11,900, down 0.1 percent compared with 2024.

Public schools numbered 24,200, including 9,100 boys’ schools and 15,000 girls’ schools. Private schools totalled 7,800, comprising 2,700 boys’ schools and 5,100 girls’ schools.

Healthcare services

The Kingdom had 292 government hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health and another 63 government hospitals operated by other entities.

Primary healthcare centres numbered 2,177. Riyadh recorded the highest total at 406, followed by Makkah with 321 and Asir with 281.

Saudi Arabia also had 515 ambulance centres operated by the Saudi Red Crescent.

Banking and social services

The number of commercial bank branches increased 0.3 percent to 1,910 in 2025. Riyadh led with 585 branches, followed by Makkah with 385 and the Eastern Province with 349.

Automated teller machines (ATMs) exceeded 14,000 nationwide, although their number declined 2.7 percent from the previous year.

In social services, the number of social security offices and units fell 14.2 percent to 91. The number of social development centres remained stable at 39.

GASTAT said its annual Services Statistics publication draws on administrative records supplied by relevant government authorities. It provides data on service availability across the Kingdom’s administrative regions, governorates and centres.

Source: Saudi Gazette

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is preparing to restart domestic and international passenger flights on Sunday, October 25, following disruptions linked to missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement targeting the Saudi capital.

In a travel advisory released on Saturday, airport authorities outlined revised terminal arrangements for services operated by Saudi national airlines. From Sunday, Terminal 1 will serve domestic flights, while Terminal 2 will accommodate international services operated by national carriers.

The changes mark a step toward restoring normal passenger operations at one of Saudi Arabia’s busiest aviation hubs after the recent security incidents.

Passengers holding confirmed bookings have been advised to contact their airlines before heading to the airport to check their reservation status and confirm flight schedules.

The announcement comes amid a series of attacks attributed to the Houthi movement targeting Riyadh and other areas of Saudi Arabia, including the vicinity of King Khalid International Airport.

Saudi authorities have reported intercepting and destroying projectiles directed at Riyadh and other regions on multiple occasions. Civil Defense teams have also responded to incidents involving debris falling from intercepted projectiles.

Source: Saudi Gazette

Air travel across Italy was disrupted on Friday after a technical fault affected the country’s air traffic control systems, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.

Air traffic control provider ENAV said it had introduced temporary restrictions on air traffic capacity after detecting overnight anomalies in the data transmission network supporting air traffic services nationwide.

Authorities said the disruption was not caused by sabotage and confirmed that the technical issue had been resolved later in the day.

Data from aviation analytics company Cirium showed that 192 flights had been cancelled by around 1000 GMT. At the same time, only about 31% of departures from Italian airports were leaving on schedule.

The situation was particularly challenging at the country’s major airports. On-time departures stood at approximately 25% at Milan Malpensa Airport and 28% at Rome Fiumicino Airport.

ENAV announced at around 1325 GMT that it had restored full operational capacity, bringing the technical disruption to an end.

Source: Reuters

Saudi telecom operator STC Group is offering free, unlimited calls to and from Saudi Arabia for customers roaming overseas, helping travellers maintain contact with their families amid continuing flight disruptions.

Announced on X, the initiative runs from October 12 to October 19. STC said the offer was intended to support customers facing difficulties staying connected with loved ones during an uncertain period.

“We understand how difficult it can be to be away from family, particularly during times like these,” the company told Arab News.

STC added that free, unlimited calling would make it easier for customers outside the Kingdom to communicate with relatives and provide reassurance during the disruption.

The initiative comes as flights to and from Riyadh face interruptions following a recent attack on King Khalid International Airport.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation announced on X that the airport’s operational suspension had been extended to allow safety inspections of its facilities to be completed. The authority did not provide a timeline for the resumption of flights.

Traveller Welcomes Initiative but Calls for Free Internet

Hisham Al-Ghasim, a Saudi citizen whose return journey from Bangkok to Riyadh was disrupted, welcomed STC’s offer but said free internet access would have been more practical.

His existing mobile package already covered calls, while internet connectivity was important for arranging alternative travel, making bookings and accessing essential applications.

He told Arab News that providing unrestricted internet access instead of free calls would have been more useful because many everyday communications and travel arrangements depend on online services.

Al-Ghasim had completed a business trip to Bangkok and was waiting for a taxi when he received a notification that his return flight had been delayed.

He said he was informed that his departure had been postponed by three days. Although he had been following developments, he had not expected his flight booking to be cancelled.

His original itinerary involved an Emirates flight via Dubai to Riyadh. He subsequently arranged to end his journey in the United Arab Emirates instead.

After reaching Dubai, Al-Ghasim contacted the Saudi Consulate General, which offered assistance with returning to the Kingdom by road through organised group transport.

Saudi Missions Assist Stranded Citizens

Saudi embassies and consulates have also been helping citizens affected by flight cancellations associated with regional security developments.

Their support includes arranging emergency accommodation and helping travellers identify alternative routes to return home as aviation disruptions continue.

Source: Arab News

flydubai has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 14, the airline confirmed in a statement.

A spokesperson said the carrier is monitoring the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities and will notify passengers of any changes to flight schedules through its official communication channels.

Passengers affected by the cancellations have been advised to visit the Manage Booking section on the airline’s website, flydubai.com, to review available refund or rebooking options.

Customers who purchased tickets through travel agents should contact their agents directly for assistance.

The airline apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and said it would continue to provide updates through its official channels.

Source: Emirates247

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended services to Riyadh and Dammam, issuing a travel alert for passengers travelling to the two Saudi Arabian destinations.

The Qatari airline said it was monitoring developments in Saudi Arabia in coordination with the relevant authorities. In response to the evolving situation, the carrier halted flights to both cities until further notice.

Passengers have been urged to verify their flight status through the airline’s official website or mobile application before travelling.

Qatar Airways said the safety of passengers and crew remains its highest priority. The airline added that customers affected by the suspensions would be contacted directly, with additional updates published on its website as more information becomes available.

Source: QNA