Riyadh Air 787-9 Business Class Review (Jeddah - Riyadh)
Airline: Riyadh Air, RX
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Aircraft registration: HZ-RXAC
Route: Jeddah - Riyadh
Flight number: RX12
Seat: 7C
There was a lot of noise in the aviation world when Riyadh Air was announced. A new Middle Eastern carrier with big ambitions, a modern fleet, and the kind of cabin design renders that make frequent flyers stop scrolling. The question that followed was obvious: does the real thing live up to the pictures?
Oskar and I flew business class on Riyadh Air's Jeddah to Riyadh on their Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This happened to be the very first passenger departure Riyadh Air had ever operated out of Jeddah, which made it a notable flight even before we stepped on board.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Business Class King Abdulaziz International Airport
I had already flown Riyadh Air economy class and Riyadh Air premium economy, so by the time I reached business class I had a full picture of what this airline does well and where it holds back.
How I booked my riyadh air Business class ticket?
This flight was booked directly through Riyadh Air's website. The route had only gone on sale days earlier, so the cabin was quiet and the atmosphere at the gate was surprisingly lowkey for a milestone flight. I paid 2,588 SAR one-way for JED–RUH in business class.
One thing to be aware of: Riyadh Air does not currently allow special meal requests on domestic flights, including this Jeddah to Riyadh route. That's a gap worth knowing before you book, especially given how much effort goes into the food service on board.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Check-in experience
What I can tell you about the gate experience is that it was calm, which was itself a bit of a surprise. Riyadh Air was operating its first ever flight from Jeddah that day, and yet there was no special setup at the gate, no crowd, no ceremony. Just a standard boarding process on a flight that happened to be historic for the airline.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Economy Class Boarding
Two of Riyadh Air's newest crew members greeted us at the door. I spent a few minutes chatting with them and learned that the airline currently assigns crew to any cabin on any given day, since there's no seniority system in place yet. It's an unusual approach for a carrier positioning itself as a premium product, but it seems to be working at this early stage. Turning left into business class, the first impression was hard to argue with.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class cabin
Riyadh Air 787-9 Business Class Seat Map and Features
The standard business class seat is the Safran Unity, a product also set to appear on Japan Airlines’ upcoming A350s.
Visually and functionally, the seat is defined by its very tall privacy walls. Once seated, the sense of separation is immediate and quite effective. It genuinely feels like a personal space rather than part of a shared cabin.
Window alignment is well handled, with good visibility from both odd and even rows. In the center section, the “honeymoon” seats feature a movable divider that can be lowered to create a more social setup for couples or companions.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat
The seat fully converts into a flat bed, and one of the more surprising aspects is how spacious it feels once in the lie-flat position. Despite the enclosed design, it does not feel restrictive when resting.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class bed
A key design feature is the fabric-lined privacy walls, which do more than just define personal space they actively help dampen sound.
The difference is noticeable. Walking through the aisle, the cabin feels relatively open and louder. Once seated, however, the environment becomes significantly calmer and more insulated. The effect is subtle but very real, and reminiscent in some ways of Finnair’s quieter cabin experience.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat features
It’s a thoughtful touch that enhances the overall sense of privacy.
The main compromise with the Safran Unity design is knee space. The high, enclosing walls naturally bring the seat structure closer to the occupant, meaning your knees sit relatively near the seat in front even before any recline. Because of this tighter geometry, a shoulder harness is integrated into the seat a reminder of the design’s more compact spatial layout. On a short 90-minute sector, this isn’t an issue at all. However, on long-haul flights, it’s something worth considering carefully, particularly for passengers who prefer more open foot and leg space on overnight journeys.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class footwell
Storage is functional but limited, with only essential compartments available around the seat.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat features
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class global ports
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat features
The tray table deploys from a side console and slides forward into position. It is sturdy and practical, though not particularly spacious. The entertainment screen is a solid size, but it does not tilt or adjust into a better viewing angle when in bed mode something newer seat designs are increasingly offering.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class tray table
A notable omission is the lack of individual air vents, which feels like a missed opportunity in a premium cabin where personal comfort control is typically expected.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class no individual airvents
Riyadh Air also includes built-in headrest speakers. While innovative in concept, the execution is less convincing, as they tend to add a layer of noise rather than improve audio clarity.
At the very front of the cabin sit four Business Elite suites, positioned as a more exclusive version of the standard business product.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat headrest
These seats offer a higher level of enclosure and a more private feel, particularly in the window configurations, which stand out as the most desirable option in this mini-cabin.
The center suites, by comparison, feel slightly more confined and less spacious, making them better suited for passengers travelling together rather than solo travelers seeking maximum openness.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class seat
If Business Elite becomes more widely available or consistently bookable, the window suites are clearly the standout choice.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class elite
Riyadh Air 787-9 Departure from Jeddah
Takeoff out of Jeddah was smooth, and the 787 made short work of the climb. The crew, ran a smooth operation from the start. For a brand new airline on a brand new route, it felt polished and well timed.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Inflight Meals
Pre-departure started with Saudi coffee and dates, followed by small cakes and a signature welcome drink the crew described as their “holy trinity”: a lemon mint made with Earl Grey tea. It sounds unusual, but it tasted like good lemon mint with a slightly more complex base. A hot towel was also offered, adding a nice touch of refinement.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class pre departure drinks
Riyadh Air is a completely dry airline. There is no alcohol served on board and if alcohol is important to your in-flight experience, that's a meaningful factor when comparing Riyadh Air against Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Allegris, and Air France.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class menu
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class menu
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class menu
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class menu
For the meal, most of the dishes contained dairy which meant I personally couldn't eat most of it, but everything looked well presented and smelled excellent. I had the Desert Rose mocktail, which was a decent choice from the drinks menu.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class inflight meal
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class glass
For a 90 minutes domestic flight, this meal service is better than what you'd get in business on most full service carriers flying routes three or four times as long. On that basis alone, it's impressive. The special meal issue I flagged in booking is worth repeating: Riyadh Air currently doesn't offer special meal options on domestic routes. For an airline doing this level of food service, that's a gap that should be easy to fix.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Business class Amenities
Business class comes with a full amenity kit in a branded pouch, well made and entirely Riyadh Air branded. Nothing inside it was surprising, but it all felt properly considered rather than thrown together.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class amenity kit
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class amenity kit
The pajamas were offered on this flight, which I thought was unusual for a 90 minutes flight, but I appreciated the gesture. Riyadh Air branded throughout.
Since this was the first flight on this route, we also received a luggage tag commemorating the Jeddah to Riyadh inaugural service, and a small Riyadh Air branded puzzle clearly meant for younger passengers, though they were happy to give one to me too. Nice touches for a milestone flight.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class luggage tag
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class luggage tag
Riyadh Air 787-9 business Class Service
The crew in business class were professional and warm throughout the flight. The service felt unhurried, even on a tight turnaround, and the timing of each course was well managed.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class service
Most crew I spoke with had come from other Middle Eastern carriers, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad,Oman Air, and Gulf Air, so the basics of running a premium cabin were already in place. The current policy of assigning crew to any cabin regardless of experience could lead to some inconsistency over time, but on this flight it wasn’t an issue.
Riyadh Air 787-9 Business Class lavatory
The business class lavatory was bright, spacious, and well maintained throughout the flight. It includes a foot pedal for the flush, which is a small premium touch that's more common than it used to be but still feels like a detail worth noting. The soap was the same as what's used in economy, the brand Kayanee.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class lavatory
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class toiletries
I counted two lavatories for business class on this flight, which works out to roughly one for every four business class passengers. That's a good ratio, especially on a domestic flight. I'd want to see how that holds up on a full long haul flight with a busier cabin before drawing any firm conclusions.
Riyadh Air 787-9 arrival in Jeddah
Just before landing, the crew came through the cabin with a round of inaugural flight cupcakes to mark the occasion. It was a nice way to close out the service and acknowledge what was a milestone departure for Riyadh Air. Landing in Riyadh was smooth, and the short flight meant disembarkation came around quickly after the final service.
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class cupcakes
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class approaching King Khalid International Airport
Riyadh Air 787-9 business class approaching King Khalid International Airport
riyadh Air 787-9 business Class: Our Final Verdict
Riyadh Air business class is one of the best looking cabins I've sat in on any airline. The Safran Unity seat combined with the custom design language, the fabric walls, the sand dune motifs, and the mood lighting creates an environment that clearly was designed for the passenger experience rather than just to meet a specification. That counts for a lot.
The comfort is good without being exceptional. The lie flat bed is surprisingly roomy once you're in it, and the fabric wall noise reduction makes for a calmer environment than you'd expect on a 787. The knee room before you go flat is tight, the storage is limited, and the missing individual air vents are a real omission in a cabin at this price level. The entertainment screen not tilting is a smaller complaint but still worth mentioning.
No alcohol is a known quantity with Riyadh Air. The meal service punches well above what a 90 minute flight would normally offer. The crew were experienced and polished. Business Elite, which I didn't fly but walked through, looks like a first class product and is worth watching closely if it becomes more available.
The bigger question hanging over Riyadh Air is strategic. This is a beautifully designed airline built on a dense, profit-focused configuration. That's a different mission from what Emirates and Qatar Airways set out to do when they built their reputations. Those airlines used their premium products to put their home cities on the map. Whether Riyadh Air can accomplish the same for Riyadh with a denser layout and no alcohol service remains to be seen.
Right now, business class on Riyadh Air is worth flying for the design, the food service, and the overall experience on shorter routes. I'd want to fly a long haul leg before giving a full verdict on how it holds up overnight.
