A new passenger air route opens a direct connection between the Chinese city of Shenzhen and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. 

The first flight carried more than 200 passengers, mainly for business, service and leisure travel, with a load factor of more than 80 per cent. 

The air service operates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, with a flight time of about nine hours and 30 minutes. This is reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

The route is the fifth direct air route from Shenzhen to the Middle East. In addition to Riyadh, Shenzhen also offers direct flights to Cairo, Dubai, Tel Aviv and Tehran, promoting exchanges and co-operation between China and Saudi Arabia in various fields.

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