A Saudi airline has restarted direct flights for Iranian pilgrims traveling to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, marking the first such service since 2015. This development highlights the improving relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran after years of diplomatic tension.
Flynas, a Saudi low-cost carrier, resumed flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday, according to a Saudi civil aviation source who requested anonymity. Additional flights will soon operate from Mashhad in northeastern Iran, allowing over 35,000 Iranian pilgrims to journey to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
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These flights are exclusively for the Hajj season, set to begin in early June, and are not regular commercial services. Previously, Iranian pilgrims relied on chartered flights organized by Iran during the pilgrimage.
The resumption follows the restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March 2023, ending a seven-year break mediated by China. Relations had soured significantly in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, which sparked violent protests in Tehran and led to the burning of the Saudi embassy.
Since reconciling in 2023, the two countries have taken several steps to rebuild their relationship, including exchanging ambassadors and conducting high-level visits. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s historic visit to Riyadh in November 2023 was the first by an Iranian head of state in twenty years, during which he attended a joint Arab-Islamic summit focused on the Gaza conflict.
In December, Iran Air also resumed flights between Mashhad and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, further enhancing bilateral connections. Recently, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman made a rare visit to Tehran, where he met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The renewal of Hajj flights is expected to ease travel arrangements for Iranian pilgrims and symbolizes a growing willingness on both sides to engage positively after years of hostility.
