Saudi Arabia’s newest airline has already received more than 2 million job applications and is still very much actively recruiting. Riyadh Air is looking for up to 15,000 cabin crew globally, with recruitment roadshows already completed in the UK, France, Spain, Poland, South Korea, India, and the Philippines, and new events planned across Europe, the Middle East, and South America. If Riyadh Air has not been on your radar yet, it should be.
This is one of the most significant new cabin crew opportunities in years, and recruitment events are happening right now.
What Is Riyadh Air?
Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, first announced in 2023 and fully funded by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as part of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision to transform the country’s economy. This is not a budget carrier or a regional operation. It is a full-service, premium international airline built from scratch with the explicit mandate to put Saudi Arabia at the centre of global aviation.
The airline completed a soft launch in October 2025, operating initial flights between Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and London Heathrow. From 1 July 2026, the airline will officially launch commercial service, and additional routes to Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid, and Manchester are to be announced soon. By 2030, the airline plans to serve as many as 100 global destinations.
The fleet is built around the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, one of the most modern, crew-friendly long-haul aircraft in commercial aviation. The airline has a firm order for 72 of the aircraft placed in March 2023, with a further 110 aircraft on order from Airbus, including the A321neo.
Insight: Riyadh Air is the kind of opportunity that comes along once in a generation. When Emirates launched in 1985, the crew who joined in the early years built careers at an airline that went on to become the world’s largest long-haul carrier. Nobody knows whether Riyadh Air will follow the same trajectory. But the funding behind it, the ambition behind it, and the scale of the recruitment drive suggest this is not a vanity project. Getting in early at a brand-new premium airline — before the hierarchy is established and the culture is set — has real career value that is hard to quantify but easy to understand.
Minimum Requirements
To be eligible for Riyadh Air cabin crew, you must meet all of the following:
- Age: At least 21 years old at time of application
- Height: Minimum 160 cm (5’3″)
- Reach: Able to reach 212 cm on tiptoes without shoes. Physically tested during selection.
- English: Fluent in spoken and written English. Additional languages are welcome.
- Education: Minimum high school certificate or equivalent
- Experience: At least one year in hospitality or a customer-facing role
- Swimming: Confident swimmer, able to use flotation devices
- Appearance: No visible tattoos or piercings while in uniform
- Health: Must pass a full GACA (General Authority of Civil Aviation) medical examination
- Relocation: All Riyadh Air cabin crew are based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Meeting Saudi employment visa requirements and willingness to relocate is a condition of employment.
Worth Knowing: One thing worth stating directly for candidates unfamiliar with Saudi Arabia: this is a different cultural environment from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia has its own laws and social norms. Life for expat workers has improved considerably under Vision 2030’s social reforms, but candidates should research what daily life in Riyadh actually looks like before they apply, and go in informed rather than assuming it mirrors the UAE experience.
What Does Riyadh Air Pay?
The full pay structure is confirmed at the offer stage. Based on available data, the package follows the standard Gulf carrier model of basic salary, plus flying pay and layover allowances, all tax-free. Saudi Arabia imposes no personal income tax.
All figures are in Saudi Riyals (SAR) with USD equivalents in brackets.
- Basic monthly salary: Approximately SAR 5,500 (USD 1,467) for new joiners
- Flying pay and allowances: When flying hours and layover per diems are included, the estimated total monthly package for entry-level crew reaches approximately SAR 11,725 (USD 3,127)
- Guaranteed hours: Guaranteed 75 flight hours per month until the end of 2026 — a meaningful guarantee for new joiners who are still building seniority and would otherwise have less control over their roster
- Training pay: Full salary is paid throughout the entire training period
The guaranteed 75 flying hours per month until the end of 2026 is a notable detail. At most airlines, new joiners have little control over their roster, and earnings can be lower than expected in the early months. A guaranteed hours floor protects your income while the network builds out — and it signals that Riyadh Air understands what it needs to do to attract good candidates away from established carriers.
The Nawat Programme: A Note for Saudi Nationals
Riyadh Air has launched a dedicated programme for Saudi nationals called Nawat, which includes a specific Nawat Cabin Crew Programme for Saudi men and women aged 21 and over. The programme is an eight-month curriculum developed in partnership with Bunyan for Training Company, covering technical expertise, safety procedures, language proficiency, and professional service standards. Training begins in August 2026, with successful candidates joining Riyadh Air as cabin crew in 2027.
Applications for Nawat are accepted at roadshows across Saudi Arabia and online. If you are a Saudi national, this is the route specifically designed for you.
How to Apply
Riyadh Air is running a rolling programme of recruitment roadshows worldwide. The Dublin event referenced in the airline’s official job posting is one of many currently active. Check the careers portal for the event nearest to you.
The application is free. Any approach from an individual or agency claiming to represent Riyadh Air and asking for payment is fraudulent — the airline has emphasised this clearly.
Apply at on the Riyadh Air careers website.
For everything you need to prepare your application:
