Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia signed an air services agreement in Riyadh on 26 August. The document raises the number of permitted regular flights between the two countries from 28 to 70 per week — a 2.5-fold increase. Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Transport, Talgat Lastayev, signed on behalf of Kazakhstan; Saudi Arabia's Acting President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Sulaiman bin Ahmed Al-Bassam, signed for the Saudi side.
The agreement expands permitted capacity rather than creating an operating schedule: no specific airline or route launch date appears in the document. Following the agreement, carriers are reported to be planning direct scheduled flights on the Astana–Riyadh route, along with additional routes connecting Kazakhstan with other Saudi cities.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport said the signing strengthened the existing regulatory framework for civil aviation and created additional opportunities for developing regular air services between the two countries. The agreement is expected to support trade and economic ties, attract investment, and strengthen tourism and cultural cooperation.
The distinction between permitted capacity and an actual schedule matters here: a 2.5x cap increase is regulatory headroom, not a fivefold rise in traffic volume. In practical terms, the agreement means airlines will not need a fresh round of bilateral talks if and when they decide to add frequency. Which carrier files the first Astana–Riyadh route, and when, remains unknown.