Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Saudia, has won three awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 for two campaigns designed to enhance the travel experience for international visitors and Hajj pilgrims.
The airline received a Silver award in the Outdoor: Ambient & Experiential category and a Bronze in the Direct Sectors: Travel, Leisure, and Retail category for its “Let It Fly” campaign. Its “The Coolest Ihram” initiative also secured a Bronze award in the Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility category.
The “Let It Fly” programme allows international travellers to collect stickers inspired by Saudi cities and traditional crafts and redeem them for up to 1.5 kilograms of additional baggage allowance. The stickers are available through purchases at the Saudia Store and selected retailers in Riyadh and Jeddah. According to the airline, more than 39,000 stickers have been redeemed, with travellers taking them to 22 countries.
Meanwhile, “The Coolest Ihram” integrates cooling technology into the traditional Ihram garment worn by Hajj pilgrims while remaining compliant with religious requirements. More than 14,000 garments have been distributed, generating over 237 million media impressions and an earned media value of SAR 8.2 million.
Essam Akhonbay, Vice President of Marketing at Saudia, said: “These awards represent global recognition of Saudia’s efforts to enrich the guest experience and serve Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. We are proud that this achievement reflects our ability to turn creative ideas into experiences with tangible impact, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s growing position on the global stage.”
Founded in 1945, Saudia operates a fleet of 151 aircraft serving around 100 destinations across four continents. The airline was ranked first globally for on-time performance in May 2026 by aviation analytics firm Cirium and was named “World Class Airline” at the APEX World Class 2026 Awards for the fifth consecutive year.
