Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia have signed a new Air Services Agreement aimed at significantly expanding air connectivity between the two countries, with the number of permitted weekly flights set to rise from 28 to 70.

The agreement was signed in Riyadh on August 26, Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee said, strengthening the legal framework for civil aviation cooperation and opening new opportunities for regular air services, Kazinform reports.

The signing ceremony was attended by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev and Suleiman bin Ahmed Albassam, president of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Under the new arrangements, airlines are also planning to launch direct scheduled flights between Astana and Riyadh, while expanding connections between Kazakhstan and other Saudi cities.