Qatar Airways has confirmed the launch date for scheduled flights to Gassim – its newest gateway in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Effective January 7th 2013, Gassim will become Qatar Airways’ fifth destination in the country, where it already serves Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina.

The Doha-based airline will operate four-flights-a-week to the central Saudi city of Gassim, offering travellers a greater choice of travel options to more than 100 destinations around the world served by the airline via its Doha hub.

The Gassim route will be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in First Class and 132 in Economy.

Situated 400 kilometres northwest of Riyadh, Gassim is Saudi Arabia’s seventh most populated province with a rich agricultural industry.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said he was delighted the airline was boosting services to Saudi Arabia, a market where the carrier had more than doubled frequency over the past year.

“Today Qatar Airways operates 60 flights a week across four destinations in Saudi Arabia, which will rise to 64 with the addition of Gassim as our newest route, representing the importance and commitment Qatar Airways has in the Saudi market,” he said.

“From Gassim, passengers will be able to travel seamlessly through our Doha hub to popular cities such as London, Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, New York and Washington – some great examples of offering passengers across Saudi Arabia with increased travel options and greater flexibility.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently operating a modern fleet of 111 aircraft to 118 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.