Riyadh Air has added Madrid to its growing European network, giving passengers a new direct connection between the Saudi and Spanish capitals.
The airline’s first Madrid flight, RX0531, landed at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport on 17 July 2026. It marked the beginning of the first scheduled nonstop service between Riyadh and Madrid.
Flights will operate four times a week using Riyadh Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The outbound service departs Riyadh at 2 am and arrives in Madrid at 7.55am local time. Return flights depart at 10.05 am and arrive back in Riyadh at 5.20 pm.
The inaugural arrival was marked by a reception at Madrid-Barajas, attended by Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas, Atlético de Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, and representatives from the airline and airport.
Madrid is Riyadh Air’s second Spanish route. The airline began seasonal services to Málaga three days earlier, with flights running from 14 July until 8 September. Both routes were developed with the Saudi Air Connectivity Program.
The Madrid launch was also accompanied by a new agreement with Air Europa. Subject to regulatory approval, the two airlines plan to explore interline bookings and codeshare flights, as well as shared loyalty benefits. The partnership could eventually give Riyadh Air passengers easier onward connections from Madrid to other parts of Spain, Southern Europe and Latin America.
That could make Madrid useful as more than the final stop. Rather than booking a separate ticket and starting again after landing, travellers may eventually be able to continue their journey elsewhere as a single connected trip.
The route is expected to support both leisure and business travel. Around 250 Spanish companies currently operate in Saudi Arabia, creating regular demand between the two countries beyond the usual holiday traffic.
There is also an existing connection to football. Riyadh Air sponsors Atlético de Madrid’s men’s and women’s teams and holds the naming rights to the club’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium.
For football supporters, the direct route makes travelling to Madrid for a match much easier. For everyone else, the city still has the Prado, Retiro Park, neighbourhoods built for long walks and dinners that begin when many people elsewhere would already be considering bed.
The practical benefit is straightforward. Madrid can now be reached from Riyadh without changing planes along the way, making a Spanish city break, work trip or longer European holiday considerably easier to organise.
