Chinese tech giant Huawei is helping the recently formed Saudi airline Riyadh Air advance its digital capabilities.

The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthens Riyadh Air’s digital capabilities to deliver seamless, data-driven and engaging travel experiences.

The MoU aims to bring together the airline’s global growth vision with Huawei’s technological expertise to elevate how passengers discover, book and experience travel.

The partners have already explored opportunities in smart aviation and digital innovation, and this MoU marks the next step in the airline’s ambition to become one of the world’s most digitally advanced carriers.

Riyadh Air and Huawei will adopt a phased approach to developing the airline’s digital ecosystem, beginning with a focus on China and other key international markets. With key milestones achieved, Huawei will now support Riyadh Air’s broader digital transformation, leveraging its expertise in cloud, AI, mobility services and integrated digital ecosystems.

A fifth of smartphone users in China use Huawei devices, according to TechInsights, giving Riyadh Air the opportunity to leverage Huawei’s technology and local reach to build a full, market-specific digital ecosystem, tailored to China’s social media and market environment, delivering seamless, personalised and data-driven travel experiences.

As the partnership evolves, collaboration will expand into areas of digital innovation, including marketing, loyalty, cloud services and technologies, with a focus on co-creating future-focused digital options that enrich the travel experience and shape smart, connected aviation.

The focus on the Chinese market reflects its importance to Riyadh Air’s network strategy to reach over 100 global destinations.

“China’s market is an important part of Riyadh Air’s global expansion and essential to Saudi Arabia’s tourism growth,” said Vincent Coste, chief commercial officer of Riyadh Air. “As the kingdom raises its target to 150 million tourists by 2030, our partnership with Huawei strengthens our ability to deliver the digital, seamless and personalised journey Chinese travellers expect.”

Coste added that Riyadh Air, as the kingdom’s new national carrier, aimed to serve as a bridge enhancing airline connectivity between Saudi Arabia and China. Huawei devices have more than 730 million monthly active users globally, who will be introduced to the benefits of Riyadh Air’s loyalty programme Sfeer (www.riyadhair.com/en/sfeer).

Peak Yin, CEO for Huawei’s consumer business in Saudi Arabia, added: “We have found a true partner in Riyadh Air, a digital-native, future-focused national carrier. Huawei is committed to supporting Riyadh Air with our best global technologies to co-create world-class digital experiences for travellers from China and around the world. This partnership is designed as a seamless and continuously evolving collaboration, enabling us to innovate together, elevating every stage of the travel experience and pushing the boundaries of what technology can bring to the aviation industry and its guests.”

With a goal of connecting to 100 destinations by 2030, Riyadh Air (www.riyadhair.com) sees strong digital partnerships as essential. By combining its global ambitions with the technological expertise of Huawei (www.huawei.com), the airline hopes to shape the travel experience, enhance connectivity, and help shape the future of smart, digitally enabled air travel.