Saudia changes everything: new livery, logo and uniforms. And artificial intelligence also arrives

Digital transformation, new livery and uniform, and total brand renewal. As sister airline Riyadh Air prepares for official debut, Saudia announced a few days ago a 360-degree rebranding.

A new image that aims to underscore the Middle Eastern carrier's commitment to becoming a big player in the entire air transport industry by supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 (Saudi Arabia's maxi plan to welcome more than 100 million travelers by 2030 and become a global destination).

The new image and logo

Starting with the brand, therefore, Saudia has revamped its appearance by introducing a new logo and basing the entire image (also that of aircraft liveries) on three colors: green, blue and sand. This is not entirely new, as the logo, font and livery are inspired by those previously used between 1971 and 1996.

According to the Arab carrier statement, moreover, the use of colors has a definite meaning: green represents national pride and recall of the Saudi Arabian flag, the blue symbolizes ambitions of the Group to become a leader both on the sea and in the skies; the sand color is inspired by the desert dunes, which represent the country's rich natural heritage.

Livery and uniforms

As for the new livery, however, it is the green and blue horizontal stripes that characterize the central part of the fuselage. The predominant color is green also presents motor uses, on the tail and On the "belly" of the aircraft which also features the logo tracing the famous Emirates style (imitated lately in the rebranding of Air India). The revamped logo-as can be seen in the image above-features a large palm tree on a triangular background resembling the shape of an airplane.

Ibrahim Al-Omar, general manager of Saudia Group, said:

"We are experiencing a new era and a very exciting time for Saudia. Our airline has evolved starting with a Douglas DC-3 aircraft in 1945 to a modern fleet of 140 aircraft serving more than 100 destinations, becoming one of the largest airlines in the region. Saudia's name and logo are an integral part of the Kingdom's aviation history and development, and our people share a special emotional connection to the brand. We have incorporated this rich heritage into our new identity, adding elements that reflect our visionary approach, ready to captivate the world."

The rebranding is complete, finally, with the carrier's new uniforms. Saudia did not go into detail, however, presenting only a photo depicting a stewardess's new dark blue uniform-a style that does not deviate from previous uniforms.

Saudia's digital transformation

Finally, alongside the image, the airline insisted on the concept of digital transformation by unveiling a new virtual assistant service based on generative artificial intelligence. The new service-which will leverage the capabilities of the world-famous ChatGPT 4 from OpenAI - will be unveiled soon and will have the same name as the airline, Saudia precisely.

"The ambitious digital transformation, which has been planned for some time, completely improves the customer experience, but also enables more streamlined operations and processes, ensuring the highest levels of personal data protection of customers through strong partnerships with leading global companies," the CEO recalled.

Saudia's rebranding operation, therefore, follows a total renewal of services of the carrier: continued evolution is to be expected in the coming months. Not least because in addition to the Gulf airlines, Saudia will now have to differentiate itself more and more from Riyadh Air.

The two companies-although sisters-will each have to find their own commercial and strategic positioning without affecting their relative interests. Riyadh Air, finally, already emerges as a highly evolved and ambitious company with a strong commercial appeal. This is also why Saudia is making a sudden and rapid turn from the standpoint of image and not to be found unprepared in the new scenario.