Qatar Airways has added another destination in the north of Saudi Arabia – and it is more than just a new route. Beginning on January 5, 2026, the Doha-based carrier will launch a trio of weekly services to the Ha’il International Airport (HAS), making Ha’il its 13th Saudi destination and stitching an ancient northern crossroads into a global network extending to more than 170 destinations.
The new service to Ha’il (QR1228/QR1229) is scheduled for Monday, Thursday, and Saturday and provides a quick afternoon hop from Doha in time for passengers to return in the evening. For Qatar Airways, the new service is part of a larger initiative: “We are increasing frequencies to Jeddah and Riyadh from six to seven daily flights,” a reflection of needing to respond to the increasing need from business, leisure and pilgrimage business. The carrier reports moving nearly 2.5 million passengers within the kingdom in the past year and thus can appreciate Saudi Arabia’s role in its regional strategy.
Culture infuses Hail’s debut in passenger aviation circles. The Hail area is home to the UNESCO World Heritage listing “Rock Art in the Hail Region”, which provides petroglyphs located at Jubbah and Shuwaymis that reveal a unique human presence on the Arabian Peninsula spanning thousands of years. The new flights present avid travellers with an unexpected opportunity: a fast, comfortable opportunity to access landscapes with Neolithic carvings that etch stories that connect to the past in and out of sandstone cliffs. It’s more than just being convenient; it’s about bringing contemporary travellers to ancient tales.
Operationally, the new flights leverage Doha’s air transport powerhouse. Hamad International Airport – winner of multiple Skytrax distinctions and an essential aspect in Qatar’s aspirations to be the region’s leading air connector – routes Hail customers into a network of onwards connections across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Frequent travellers will notice the economic benefits for themselves, too. Privilege Club members will retain their ability to continue collecting Avios – across their flights and duty-free purchases – and redeem them for experiences beyond travel only.
For Hail, the effects are prompted to be immediate: easier access for tourists and business travellers, likely benefits for the local hospitality trade, and a new phase in Saudi Arabia’s brisk tourism renaissance. For the passengers, it is a neat reminder that aviation still works like magic—it condenses time and connects places; it allows a morning in Doha to morph into an afternoon with 8,000-year-old rock art at night.
