Travel/Tourism
Saudia To Open New East Africa Link
It will become easy to travel to Uganda from Saudi Arabia, as Saudi Airlines has announced its new flight route in February. The SkyTeam alliance will start this service from Riyadh’s King Khalid International (RUH) base and end at Entebbe (EBB). Entebbe is around 36kms far from Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda.
The inaugural flight reached Entebbe at 7 am, carrying 300 passengers on board with an Airbus 330-300. This flight was welcomed with a gun salute to celebrate the moment. This airline is the first one to connect Saudi Arabia and Uganda directly. Many business persons and tourists travel between these two countries for employment and another purpose.
This 3,614kms route will start on Feb 2 and be available twice a week. On the outbound leg, the flight will take 5 hr 5 min from Riyadh, and the reaching duration will be 4 hr 40 min. Initially, Saudia planned to connect these two countries last September, but the plan could not materialise. Finally, however, the airline got successful now. As a result, Entebbe has now become the 4th place in East Africa which joins Mauritius (MRU), Addis Ababa (ADD), and Nairobi (NBO).
This new connection will surely give strength to Saudi Arabia and Uganda relations. This includes the signing of the memorandum in October.
As per the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, Mr Vianney Luggya, Saudi Airlines will be the 17th airline to work in Entebbe. As per him, with the arrival of any new airlines, the confidence of the country’s aviation increases. Therefore, he expects that there will be a growth in the passengers’ traffic because of this new airline, which is steadily increasing per year. As per Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, the Middle East contributes around 21% of passenger traffic at Entebbe Airport.
Abubaker Jeje Odongo, Uganda’s foreign minister, has decided to import many products like fruits, vegetables, milk and spices from Uganda because of this new airline. He also requested the Middle East government to look for new opportunities in Uganda related to the mining, agriculture and tourism sectors.
It is also reported that both the countries have undergone an agreement for the rights protection of Ugandan migrants’ workers employed in Saudi Arabia. It has been calculated that there are around 80,000 Ugandans who work in Saudi Arabia, and most of them are maids.
As per the information given by Sabre Market Intelligence, in 2019, the passenger rush from Saudi Arabia and Uganda was around 23,000, in which Dubai (DXB), Cairo (CAI) and Addis Ababa was the biggest connecting market.
Once Saudia starts the RUH-EBB route, it will be the 3rd new route that will connect Uganda and other Middle East destinations. On Oct 4, Uganda airlines came up with flights from Entebbe to Dubai (DXB) and vice versa, while Air Arabia came up with flights between Sharjah (SHJ)-Entebbe on Oct 12.
In COVID-19, the number of passengers at Entebbe has decreased to half because of travel restrictions. As per the data noted, in 2019, the traffic was 1.98 million, and with the hit of the pandemic, the number decreased to 600,000 in 2020. However, in 2021 the numbers experienced a little bit of a surge and reached 940,000.
In 2020, the import of Uganda from Saudi Arabia was around $274.5 million, while the gulf used to import goods from East African countries whose cost was around $5.2million.
About Saudi Airlines
Saudi Airlines is a flag carrier of Saudi Arabia. The operational base of this airline is at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Secondary hubs are King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. If talked about revenue, this airline is the third-largest in the Middle East and is behind Emirates and Qatar Airways. The airline operates both international and domestic flights and covers over 100 Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America.
In 2012, Saudia joined hands with the SKYTEAM alliance. The company has codeshare partnerships with Garuda Indonesia, Korean Airlines, Czech Airlines, KLM, Etihad Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Middle East Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Europa and Oman Air. The airline has completed 74 years of operation and is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO). In 2018, this airline flew with 34 million passengers to around 90+ destinations over the continent.
Saudia is currently enjoying its accelerated transformation, thus revitalising its airline business from operations to fleet management and network growth. In 2017, Saudia was awarded the ‘World’s Most Improved Airline of 2017’ by Skytrax. This award is given to Saudia for its growth and improvement in various categories in a year.
In 2018, Saudia partnered with ABB FIA Formula E Championship for the all-electric series.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system designed to make passenger processing faster, safer and more seamless across its domestic airports.
According to FAAN, the new technology will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents and shortening queues through automated electronic gates.
The authority said the system is expected to enhance airport security while improving the overall travel experience for domestic passengers.
FAAN added that V-Pass has been developed with data privacy at its core and is compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The agency described the initiative as part of its commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services and said nationwide sensitisation and rollout updates would be announced in due course.
Airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already deploy facial recognition technology for processes such as check-in, security screening, immigration and boarding, so the move also aligns Nigeria’s aviation sector with a growing global trend towards contactless travel.
These systems have been adopted to improve operational efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the overall passenger experience.
For FAAN, the deployment of V-Pass forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda aimed at modernising airport operations and accommodating rising passenger traffic.
Experts say that beyond improving convenience, the authority expects the biometric platform to strengthen identity verification, reduce the risk of impersonation and support more efficient airport security, while maintaining compliance with data protection.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
