China Southern Airlines will launch a new direct route between Guangzhou and Riyadh starting September 2, further expanding its footprint in the Middle East during the peak summer travel season.

The airline unveiled the new service at a promotional event in Guangzhou on July 18, attended by representatives from the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Guangzhou.

The route will operate three round-trip flights per week using Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, flight CZ375 will depart from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 15:40 and land in Riyadh at 20:10 local time. The return flight, CZ376, leaves Riyadh at 22:10 and arrives in Guangzhou at 11:55 the next day. On Thursdays, the outbound flight departs earlier at 11:30, arriving in Riyadh at 16:00, with the return leg leaving at 18:00 and arriving in Guangzhou at 7:45 am the following morning. Each leg of the journey takes approximately 8.5 to 9.5 hours.

The new Guangzhou–Riyadh service becomes the airliner’s second route connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to Saudi Arabia, joining its existing Jeddah route. It also adds to China Southern’s growing Middle East network, which already includes Dubai, Doha, and Istanbul.