Bahrain’s Gulf Air is expanding its network in Saudi Arabia with the launch of three new destinations in the kingdom.

Flights to Taif will start on 15 January 2012, flights to Gassim on 17 January and to Yanbu on 15 February.

These three new routes brings Gulf Air’s network in Saudi Arabia to seven. Gulf Air first flew to the kingdom in 1950 when it launched flights to Dhahran. It also flies to Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh and Medina.

“Saudi Arabia has always been, and will be, an important market for us as the announcement of these three new destinations reiterate,” says Karim Makhlouf, chief commercial officer of Gulf Air. “We are proud of the fact that we are the largest international carrier into Saudi Arabia in terms of connecting more destinations thus expanding the commercial, tourism and religious travel opportunities between the two countries and beyond.”

Gulf Air plans to reach profitability by 2013 (MEED 25:8:11).