Riyadh Air First Officer Scholarship Opens Overseas

Riyadh Air will place selected Saudi nationals on a guaranteed-employment track that combines an overseas Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (USA) with direct onboarding into the airline’s Boeing and Airbus fleet as First Officers, with employment recorded with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) before trainees depart for study.

Program partners, oversight and logistics

The scholarship is administered under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and executed in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Transport and Logistics, together with the General Authority of Civil Aviation. Selected candidates enroll in a BSA at Embry-Riddle, a globally accredited private aviation university, then return to operate Riyadh Air’s mixed fleet. Employment guarantees and pre-departure registration with GOSI create a straight logistics pipeline from university enrollment to workforce integration.

How the candidate pathway is structured

The program establishes a clear sequence of stages from application to cockpit: application and eligibility check, overseas academic training, practical flight qualifications, and employment activation with Riyadh Air. This removes common choke points in talent supply chains by ensuring job placement in advance and aligning regulatory registration with the airline’s manpower planning.

Application, eligibility and selection

Full application details and eligibility criteria are listed on the Ministry of Education portal. The selection process is coordinated with government ministries to meet Saudization targets and ensure candidates meet both academic and regulatory standards. The program is open to both male and female applicants, with employment contracts issued prior to departure to support continuity of benefits and work-ready status on return.

Complementary talent initiatives

The First Officer Scholarship is part of a broader talent pipeline that Riyadh Air is assembling. Other initiatives include:

• Kingdom’s first program for employing Saudi female Aircraft Maintenance Engineers
• Specialized scholarships for Mechanical and Electronic Avionic Engineers
• The Nawat graduate program and the Hire to Train pathway targeting corporate functions

These programs collectively reduce friction in recruitment and training logistics, supplying both technical and operational staff for an expanding airline network.

Statement of strategic impact

Captain Ziad Albaiz, Acting Vice President of Flight Operations at Riyadh Air, framed the scholarship as a direct contribution to national workforce development and the Kingdom’s Saudization objectives, noting the program supports Riyadh Air’s broader aim of creating over 200,000 jobs under Vision 2030. In short, the program is designed to scale national capability while aligning with regulatory and economic planning.

Implications for travel, tourism and marine access

From a supply-chain and destinations perspective, expanding the pilot pipeline matters for more than just the airline. Improved connectivity to regional airports can feed increased demand for coastal tourism, yacht charters and marina services. More frequent and reliable air links support travel to island and gulf marinas, enabling growth in yacht rental, superyacht visits, and boating activities that depend on consistent flight schedules for crew rotations and guest itineraries.

Quick anecdote: I’ve seen smaller island chains transform once regular air services arrived—marinas filled, charter operators expanded their fleets, and local fishing and leisure operators benefited from predictable passenger flows. In the same way, Riyadh Air’s investment in pilots can be a linchpin for destinations and their marine economies.

What operators and marinas should watch

• Route announcements that connect Riyadh Air hubs to coastal airports and tourist destinations
• Timetables that enable weekend and short-stay yacht charters
• Opportunities for partnership on combined air-sea packages

Quick takeaways for potential applicants

Applicants should review the MoE portal for deadlines, confirm academic prerequisites for the Embry-Riddle BSA, and be prepared for a coordinated process that combines education, flight training and guaranteed employment with Riyadh Air.

Conclusion: The First Officer Scholarship with guaranteed employment creates a direct logistics channel from academic training at Embry-Riddle to active service on Riyadh Air’s Boeing and Airbus fleet, backed by government collaboration and pre-departure GOSI registration. It complements other talent streams—female maintenance engineers, avionics scholarships, Nawat and Hire to Train—strengthening the Kingdom’s aviation workforce and supporting Vision 2030 goals. For the wider travel and leisure ecosystem, more pilots and more flights mean improved access to destinations, marinas and waterfront activities, benefiting yacht charter, boat rental, beach tourism, and marina services across sea, gulf and ocean hubs. Whether you’re thinking of a career in the cockpit or watching how air connectivity boosts yachting and boating economies, this program is a clear signal that Riyadh Air is building capacity for the future of aviation and related maritime activity.