Today, the first direct flight of Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudia, arrived at Sheremetyevo Airport. The aircraft operated the Riyadh-Moscow route, with flights scheduled to operate three times per week.

To mark this significant occasion, a ceremonial reception was held at the Carlton Hotel, organized by Saudia airline under the patronage of His Excellency Sami Al-Sadhan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Russian Federation.

The event was attended by:

• Mufti Rushan Abbyasov, Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation (RBM) for International Affairs and Hajj

• H.E. Sami Al-Sadhan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Russia

• Mr. Ibrahim bin Abdulrahman Al-Omar, Director General of the Saudia Group of Companies

• Ali Gurdin, General Director of RBM's official tour operator "Muslim Tour"

• Other invited guests

Mufti Rushan Abbyasov conveyed greetings to those present on behalf of RBM Chairman Grand Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin and spoke about the significance of this historic event. He noted that the launch of direct regular flights between Russia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia serves as a vivid testimony to the progressive development of bilateral relations, strengthened by friendly contacts and mutual understanding between the leaders of the two countries. He emphasized that this step opens new prospects for expanding humanitarian, cultural, and tourism cooperation between the nations.

Mufti Abbyasov particularly highlighted the special importance of this development for Russian Muslims. Annually, tens of thousands of pilgrims from Russia perform Hajj and Umrah to the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, and now their journey will become significantly shorter and more comfortable.

The RBM Deputy Chairman congratulated the leadership of Saudia airline on the commencement of regular flights and expressed confidence that direct air service will not only simplify pilgrimage travel but also contribute to the development of tourism and the strengthening of spiritual and cultural ties between Russia and the Islamic world.