Direct flights reconnect Abu Dhabi and Medina

Etihad Airways will restart direct flights to the holy city of Medina from November 27.

The thrice-weekly services will run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The Abu Dhabi-Medina route was established in 2014 but was suspended in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The re-launch has been timed to provide religious, leisure and business travellers with convenient flight options as well as connect seamlessly to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent and Asia for those travelling to and from Medina through Abu Dhabi.

Medina will be Etihad’s fourth destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh.

Guests flying to Medina are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac plus one dose of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna.

The city is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia's two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated following an easing of restrictions earlier in October.