Tourexpi
Riyadh Air and IBM have unveiled a milestone in their
three-year collaboration, presenting the new Saudi airline as the world’s first
carrier built entirely on an AI-native foundation. The announcement, made
during IBM Think Riyadh 2025, highlights a technology strategy designed without
legacy systems and built to transform operational agility, customer care and
workforce experience as the airline prepares for commercial launch in early
2026.
An Airline Built on AI from Day One
Riyadh Air is using IBM Consulting’s industry
knowledge, technical capabilities and partner ecosystem, alongside IBM watsonx
Orchestrate, to operate as an AI-native enterprise. IBM coordinated 59
workstreams and more than 60 partners, including Adobe, Apple, FLYR and
Microsoft, to deliver the airline’s end-to-end digital architecture. The new
platform is intended to support fast, scalable innovation as the carrier enters
service.
“We had a clear choice—be the last airline built on
legacy technology or the first built on the platforms that will define the next
decade of aviation,” said Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer, Riyadh Air.
“With IBM, we've stripped out fifty years of legacy in a single stroke. Riyadh
Air isn't just built for today; it's built for the future and creating a
pathway for many airlines to follow in the years to come.”
“By embedding AI into the very foundation of its
operations, Riyadh Air is setting a new blueprint for what it means to build a
modern, adaptive enterprise from the ground up,” said Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice
President, IBM Consulting. “As a company born in the AI era, Riyadh Air is
redefining what's possible in aviation and it's been a privilege for IBM to
help make that vision a reality.”
Transforming Employee and Guest Experience
The digital framework integrates generative and
agentic AI to streamline internal workflows and enhance customer interactions.
Employees will access a personalized, AI-powered workplace with a unified
chat-based entry point to HR and self-service tools, supporting the airline as
it plans to double its workforce within a year. AI-driven mobile applications
will enable crew to respond proactively to guest needs, aided by context-aware
recommendations generated by watsonx Orchestrate. In customer service, AI-enabled
voice bots and agent-assist tools will help tailor support using real-time
contextual data.
Efficiency and Performance Driven by AI
Starting without legacy constraints, Riyadh Air is
embedding AI across commercial, operational and financial processes. IBM
Consulting has implemented an enterprise performance management suite to unify
data sources and automate budgeting, forecasting and analytics, enabling
real-time decision-making. The system strengthens route optimization, revenue
performance and overall operational efficiency.
A Digital Foundation for Future Growth
The partnership aims to equip Riyadh Air with the
strategic and technological capabilities required to support its long-term
vision of connecting Saudi Arabia to more than 100 destinations and serving
millions of travellers by 2030. The AI-native approach provides the structural
flexibility for continuous innovation as the airline scales.
Image
Credit: © Riyadh Air
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