Featuring Karim Makhlouf, COO, Royal Jordanian
By: Boudou Gueffai, Editor-in-Chief, The Saudi Times | June 2026
There are destinations that announce themselves loudly, and then there are places that reveal themselves slowly, street by street, cup by cup, conversation by conversation. Amman is the latter. Jordan is the latter. And if Karim Makhlouf has anything to say about it, the world is about to find out.
The Man Building Jordan’s Tourism Future ( Interview at Zenith, St-Regis hotel)
Karim Makhlouf is the COO of Royal Jordanian, and in many ways, the architect of one of aviation’s most ambitious tourism plays in the Middle East right now. Soft-spoken and precise, he describes his leadership style with characteristic directness: “I am a bulldozer. A transformer.” Four years into his role, Royal Jordanian has returned to profitability, posting $30 million in earnings, a remarkable turnaround that’s transforming the 64-year-old carrier into what Makhlouf calls “a boutique airline representing a boutique destination.” The airline is expanding its fleet from 35 to 42 aircraft over the next two years, with aims to eventually double that number, while operating 602 flights globally to 62 destinations worldwide.
“RJ is modern, contemporary, and trendy authentic Arabia,” Makhlouf told The Saudi Times, articulating a vision that goes far beyond traditional aviation metrics.
The centerpiece is Explore Jordan, launched four years ago as Makhlouf’s passion project, a first-of-its-kind digital platform in the region where travelers can book flights, hotels, and restaurants in one seamless experience. It blends gastronomy and music to showcase authentic, polished Jordan. “The airline is about discovering art, lifestyle, and wellness,” he explains.
The results speak volumes: RJ is becoming the carrier of choice in the Levant, driving a 15-20% increase in tourism. Following Saudi Arabia’s footsteps, RJ is establishing itself as a tour operator airline, with more than five destinations connecting Jordan to the Kingdom alone.
“Jordan is something Arabs are proud of,” Makhlouf told The Saudi Times. “Our job is to make sure the world knows it.”
A Boutique Airline for a Boutique Destination
Royal Jordanian connects 62 destinations worldwide and works with over 602 operators globally. It is a remarkable reach for what Makhlouf describes as a “boutique airline representing a boutique destination.” The Levant’s carrier of choice, serving a market of 140 million people, with Saudi Arabia as one of its most strategic corridors.
“Both kingdoms have common ground. We are building five destination bridges between Amman and the Kingdom. The opportunity is significant and it is only growing.”
Tourism is the engine. Makhlouf’s target is 20 percent growth in visitor numbers, with a focus on authentic cultural and culinary travel. “Gastronomy, music, art, wellness, and street culture. These are the pillars of what Jordan offers. Let’s discover the undiscovered.”
Royal Jordanian’s legacy runs 64 years, under the patronage of HRH King Hussein, and today honours that heritage while pushing decisively forward. “Make the company truly authentic Arabia. That is what drives us every single day.”
The Saudi Connection: Diaspora, Devotion, and a New Wave of Visitors
Few countries understand the Saudi market the way Jordan does, and few airlines are as well positioned to serve it as Royal Jordanian under Karim Makhlouf’s leadership.
The Jordanian community in Saudi Arabia is one of the largest Arab diaspora groups in the Kingdom, a deeply rooted human bridge between two nations that share culture, history, and faith. Royal Jordanian has long served this corridor, but Makhlouf is transforming it from a family travel route into a full tourism ecosystem.
Hajj and Umrah are central to the strategy. Jordan sits at the crossroads of some of the holiest and most historically significant routes in the Arab world, and Royal Jordanian is building seasonal and year-round pilgrimage packages that combine religious travel with cultural discovery. “The traveler who visits for faith stays for heritage,” Makhlouf notes. “Jordan has both.”
But the opportunity he is most focused on is the emerging Saudi leisure traveler. As Vision 2030 opens Saudi Arabia to the world, it is also opening Saudi citizens to the world in return. A new generation of Saudi visitors is looking for authentic, accessible, culturally rich destinations close to home. Jordan, just hours away, checks every box.
“Saudi Arabia is our most important partner. The opportunity is not just the Jordanian community visiting home. It is the Saudi visitor discovering Jordan for the first time and returning every year”, Makhlouf told The Saudi Times.
Under his leadership, Royal Jordanian is not just an airline. It is becoming the gateway.
The City of a Million Steps
The Saudi Times does not just write about destinations. We visit them.
On February 2nd, our journey began at Madrid Barajas, where Kayce, at the priority check-in desk, became the first smile of Royal Jordanian’s legendary hospitality, three minutes from arrival to boarding pass in hand. The star of the show awaited: Royal Jordanian’s newly configured A320neo, one of the freshest additions to the fleet Makhlouf has been meticulously rebuilding.
Seated in 1K on RJ110, departing punctually at 15:05 CET, The Saudi Times navigated Barajas’s vast corridors with fast-track precision to Gate S34 in Terminal S, where legacy carriers Iberia and British Airways make their hub The experience truly begins before boarding, as a Oneworld partner, Royal Jordanian passengers access the Velásquez Iberia Premium Business Lounge, one of Europe’s finest airport sanctuaries. Here, composed elegance sets the tone for the journey to Amman. Get your final tapa and a taste of Mediterranean fresh healthy food, wide selection of beverages and splendid view on the tarmac. European elegance and Spanish warmth before boarding to Amman.
Once aboard the A320neo, the new business cabin makes a genuine statement of intent: clean lines, attentive service, perfect temperature control, and a product that confidently holds its own against the region’s best. Our five-hour journey began with a ginger ale, a refreshingly rare beverage option (our favorite), followed by smoked salmon with caviar, roasted chicken, and vegetable gnocchi.
The dessert selection arrived with everything served on a grand tray, brasserie-style, complete with white linen and an attentive crew trained in crafting gastronomy at 40,000 feet. While typical airlines present pre-assembled galley trays, Royal Jordanian invites you to compose your own culinary experience, mix and match selections curated for true food enthusiasts, don’t take too much, watch the calories.
We had the privilege of flying with a veteran Captain with 41 years of Royal Jordanian service, who shared fascinating insights: “This aircraft uses 30% less fuel. Our usual route requires 13,000 kilograms of fuel, the Neo accomplished it with just 9,000, carrying 124 souls on board” he told The Saudi Times.
Landing at Queen Alia International Airport – AMM, business passengers enjoyed dedicated van service and seamless terminal navigation, welcomed warmly by immigration staff. The duty-free offered an impressive selection for any arrival necessities. Outside, our Avis Jordan chauffeur in crisp black suit awaited with an elegant EV sedan, featuring pristine leather interior. After securing a Zain Jordan prepaid SIM for 20 JD, a card with generous data to stay connected throughout the week, we glided silently toward the Four Seasons Amman. Jordan’s commitment to sustainable ecotourism evident in every electric mile as the city’s nighttime skyline unfolded before us.
Where to Stay for Those Seeking Luxury at the Top of Amman’s Hills
We experienced two of Amman’s finest addresses across six nights, and both deserve their reputation. Here is the story and how The Saudi Times experienced it.
The Four Seasons Amman: Where Capital Class Meets Jordanian Soul.
Set on the highest of Amman’s seven hills in Abdouns, the first Four Seasons built in the Middle East and Jordan’s original luxury hotel commands views over the modern city that shift from golden afternoon to violet dusk. The design nods to Jordan’s layered history, double-height pillars in the lobby echo Roman monuments, while interiors by Richmond International weave together Arabic, Islamic, and Western influences through locally sourced colors and materials. The 192 rooms and suites include a Presidential and Royal Suite for those requiring absolute discretion and a bigger space.
The Saudi Times stayed in an Executive Suite on the 5th floor, 66 square metres of contemporary classic design, pale grey and sandy tones offset with soft green and rustic red accents. Oversized picture windows frame the city below. This is the kind of room that makes you want to linger. La Capitale, the hotel’s signature restaurant, serves updated French classics in a brasserie setting that balances timeless elements with modern details. It also houses Jordan’s first farm-to-glass seasonal bar menu. We arrived for a late lunch and stayed longer than planned.
The Saudi Times was hosted by Till Klaus, General Manager, and Yasmin Sati, Director of Public Relations and Marketing – the kind of leadership that sets the tone for the entire property. We enjoyed a warm conversation at this lavish hotel with its iconic staircase, where a skilled mixologist crafted our favorite refreshing beverages. We even requested a spicy exotic fruit drink that was executed flawlessly. The management team was generous with their time, sharing the hotel’s history with genuine passion for their roles and clear loyalty to the Four Seasons brand.
Beyond the guest experience, Four Seasons Amman operates with genuine commitment to the Kingdom: partnerships with Green Wheels (recycling bottle caps for children with cerebral palsy), the Jordan River Foundation for economic empowerment, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, and the Jordanian Food Bank. This is hospitality with purpose and respect for the environment, making a major contribution to environmental preservation and honoring our natural world.
Walking Amman: A Million Steps Through Living History
Amman is not a city you experience from a car. It is a city you walk, climb, and feel. One million steps, they say. They are not wrong.
Our guide Alaeddin Rahmeh met us at the bottom of the old city and took us through streets that function as an open-air gallery. They call Amman the city of one million steps, Alaeddin knows every one of them. Getting between it all was Avis Jordan, who provided chauffeur service for our entire stay, airport pickup, city discovery, and the Dead Sea trip, all in electric vehicles. Our driver Farhan Suleiman was always smiling, always with a story about the history, the people, the beauty of his country. He loves Jordan, and it shows. He had a gift for making every ride feel like the continuation of a conversation, the car becoming something close to a home on wheels. Amman has become a street art hub of quiet significance, walls painted with murals that tell the story of a city navigating between heritage and modernity with more grace than most. For those who want to go deeper, Underground Amman leads hip-hop and alternative arts walking tours through the narrow alleyways and thousands of stairs connecting Jabal Amman and Jabal Al-Weibdeh, the hidden veins of the city’s creative pulse.
Culinary Fusion: When Italy, Hawaii, and Jordan Meet.
Majora Restaurant was our first evening, and it set the tone for everything that followed. Majora is the vision of three friends, Mario from Italy, Jonas from Hawaii, and Raed from Jordan, whose names form the restaurant’s title (MAJöRA: “towards greater things” in Latin). Each brings his own heritage: Italian artisanal craft, Hawaiian island creativity, and Jordanian hospitality tradition. The result is a space that merges old and new, with a food program built from seasonal local and global ingredients, and a beverage menu designed around emotion and memory. The tuna poke, hash brown, and Japanese fried chicken come recommended. The kind of place that does not need to shout.
Royal Jordanian hosted a dinner for The Saudi Times, gathering some of Jordan’s most compelling creative minds around one table: designers, artists, curators, chefs, yoga coaches, and beauty specialists.
Among them was Rania Abualrub founder of Rania Beauté, a permanent makeup artist and advanced skin specialist with over a decade of international experience from Beverly Hills to Miami. With 17+ international certifications, she specializes in medical aesthetics including scar camouflage and restorative pigmentation, rebuilding confidence through precision artistry while mentoring the next generation of artists.
Sitting next to us was Dina Dabbas Rifai, an architect of visibility who has spent two decades transforming emerging artists into permanent global presence. Through her incubator The BOX and platform The Artinerary, she manages over 110 artists from the Levant, Spain, and Mexico, positioning them at the center of contemporary discourse. A mentor who ensures her artists are not just promising but recognized as arrived and essential.
In front of us was sitting the kind hearted Ahmad Turki, the young Amman-born artist whose work has shown in regional fairs and international biennales, explores the psyche’s relationship to place through unconventional forms and hidden meanings. “My idea of form and norm might seem somewhat unconventional,” he told The Saudi Times, an understatement for someone whose art interrogates the emotional journey of self-discovery through sociopolitical landscapes.
At the table was also, Tamara El-Ali, a Jordanian/Romanian sculptor, creates surrealist worlds where balloons defy physics to personify frozen moments in human relationships, childhood objects carrying the weight of complex emotions.
At the corner table sat someone with a radiant smile and great energy, her name is Bridie Dukes, Australian-born but love brought her to Amman. As co-founder of Inscape.me, she brings wellness innovation to buzzing Jordan through her Pilates, Barre, and Sculpt studios – a testament to the city’s growing international wellness scene. The elite of Amman train with her at a space dedicated to becoming better and feeling better. She invited us to try her studios during our next visit.
The Architect Behind Our Table and The Jordan Story
From the Royal Jordanian team with Karim Makhlouf was Tima Hashem – a young, ambitious marketer who made this entire feature possible. Tima didn’t just coordinate a press trip. She orchestrated meaningful connections, curated authentic experiences, juggled flight changes, and transformed what could have been another press visit into something extraordinary – a story woven with real people, creative souls, and the true beauty of Jordan and its partners. She’s the kind of professional who builds magic in the background yet rarely gets the credit she deserves. Tima’s devotion, patience, and professionalism turned every challenge into an opportunity, every meeting into a memory and every spot into an experience. In a world of surface-level communications, she’s a rare gem who understands that the best stories come from genuine human connections. The Saudi Times extends our deepest gratitude to Tima. Royal Jordanian has found gold in her – mark our words, she’s a future captain of their marketing department. This legacy airline knows talent when they see it, and Tima Hashem is exactly the kind of leader who’ll write their next chapter.
At Majora, the atmosphere was intimate and alive, we met the chefs, felt the cozy warmth of the space, and understood immediately why this place has become a gathering point for Amman’s creative class – yet a little bit hidden and exclusive.
An Unexpected Gem: The Unplanned Stop That Became Essential
For culture and community, nothing in Amman quite compares to Jadal, a cultural home for families founded in 2011 by Fadi Amera. Music, cinema, art, and conversation under one roof. Fresh juice and tea, no artificial additives, no plastic. A garden with organic farm-to-table food. A place to read, donate books, slow down, think, and connect. Shaden at reception makes you feel at home the moment you walk in. Follow them at @Jadalculture.
The calligraphy studio of Mohamed Abuaziz stopped us in our tracks. Arabic calligraphy as living art, practiced with a precision and reverence that reminded us why this script is considered among the most beautiful in the world. His studio is not a tourist attraction. It is a working space for a master.
For the freshest start to a morning, We Farm Amman delivers exactly what it promises. Farm-to-table, organic, and genuinely good. We sat at Paris Square with Alaeddin and sipped fresh juice made by Hazar, who attended to us with the kind of warmth that makes you feel like a local within minutes. The garden setting, the organic concept, the simple pleasure of a fresh juice on a quiet morning, this is how Amman should be experienced.
The Shuman family owns the largest art foundation in the Arab world, the backbone of Amman’s cultural scene, giving it an institutional depth that surprises first-time visitors.
The St. Regis Amman
For the remaining four nights, we moved to the St. Regis Amman, Suite 814 – the Governor Suite. 139 square meters of considered luxury with a skyline view that makes you want to stay an extra day (and we did – thank you, Esra & Jacopo). King-size bed, two bathrooms, full kitchen, separate living room, and the kind of quiet that’s increasingly rare in the world’s best hotels. As a sensitive sleeper, I was rewarded with full nights of sleep without any noise. One of the finest suite experiences in the region, without question. We’ll be back with guests from Saudi Arabia for another reportage.
Part of Marriott’s portfolio and situated at the prestigious 5th Circle, the hotel draws its design language from the Beaux-Arts architecture of the original St. Regis New York, 18th-century classical elegance translated for the modern Middle East. The 258 rooms and suites come with the brand’s signature butler service, a detail that separates good hotels from great ones.
The dining program is extensive. Mercado handles breakfast with an international buffet. Tamara serves Levantine and Middle Eastern dishes with contemporary flair. Segreta, set in a lush garden, offers French, Italian, and Californian-inspired brasserie fare. The St. Regis Bar and Tea Lounge maintain the brand’s traditions, one for evening, one for afternoon.
Zenith, on the 17th floor, is the showpiece. A rooftop restaurant and lounge where grilled specialties and cocktails compete with the city views for attention. The kind of place where a dinner reservation becomes an event, and this case, an interview with Karim Makhlouf.
The St. Regis Spa completes the offering, spacious treatment suites, customized packages, and the quiet required to actually relax. The Saudi Times was treated to the 60-minute Relaxing Massage, a bespoke treatment delivered by therapist Jowee Lyze A. Jarabe. Light to medium pressure, personalized through the Scent Bar, with options of nourishing oil, hydrating cream, shea butter, or melted wax. The kind of treatment that reminds you what balance feels like.
The hospitality at St. Regis Amman is shaped by a team that understands the difference between service and care. Jacopo Lachin, Hotel Manager; Esra Al Omari, Director of Rooms; each played a part in an experience that ran seamlessly from arrival to departure. While these names represent leadership, the entire house operates with the same standard. This is what five-star service looks like when it’s genuine and pleasant. The Saudi Times was treated not only to luxury and elegance but to something more precious – time. The team took time to ask about our day, hotel staff among Viola Sbeih, Cluster Director of Marketing greeted us as if we lived there.
The success of a luxury hospitality brand lies in making you feel at home from your very first steps into the hotel. Hospitality is also about sharing moments. Esra took time from her busy schedule to sit with us on the sunny terrace, sharing stories of Jordan’s beauty from her northern hometown of Um Qais – where olive trees, lakes, and birds create a tapestry of tranquility and Jordanian heritage. She was particularly genuine and real, nothing “press” calculated, just the generosity of time and the warmth she brought from the north to the capital. At the St. Regis, her human warmth exceeded any technical skills in hospitality standards.
Ahmad Turki – A Warm Welcome to Amman’s Creative Heart
Our exploration of Amman’s art scene began with a beautiful gesture, Turki Ahmad the visual artist, whom we’d met at Majora a few days earlier, personally picked us up from the iconic St. Regis and drove us to the old town. His car, full of paint and materials artists carry, was like an art studio on wheels. But it was his hospitality and smile that showed how eager he was to share the vibrant creative community he’s part of. This warm hospitality perfectly captured the spirit of Jordan’s emerging art scene.
Turki brought us to the studio he shares with fellow artists, introducing us to Leen Jamil, whose evocative sculptures explore memory and transformation through fragmented female forms. We also saw Tamara El-Ali’s work – her surrealist balloon sculptures freeze interpersonal relationships in time, transforming simple childhood objects into carriers of complex human experiences.
If you want to disconnect, get inspired, and find yourself on Amman’s hillside rooftops, this studio is where you unwind and let the artists tell you their stories. Here, no one judges you – free to wander around the expansive space and get inspired by the artwork filling the studio they call home.
Together, these artists are putting young Jordanian talent on the global map, proving that Amman’s old town is as much about contemporary creativity as ancient history.
Adventure and Adrenaline – A Day at the Dead Sea
No visit to Jordan is complete without the Dead Sea. A quick drive from Amman, and the landscape shifts from city to something almost lunar, the lowest point on Earth, where the water holds you up whether you want it to or not.
Marriott hosted us for the day – a vintage feel greets you upon entering the hotel. While not the most updated structure, it offers a heated pool and golf cart service down to the water. We had lunch at their Italian restaurant, followed by a full-body treatment with the mineral-rich mud the region is famous for. The staff guided us through the ritual: apply, let dry, rinse, float. Simple, ancient, effective.
A word for first-timers: the water is super-salty. You will float, that part is guaranteed — but keep it out of your eyes. The sting is real, and the lesson is learned quickly.
We stopped at the Pink Lake on the return, a brief pause before heading back to Amman. A day of self-care with nature, courtesy of Marriott and RJ, and a reminder that Jordan’s wonders extend far beyond the capital.
The Destination Waiting to Be Discovered
As our journey ends, we extend our deepest gratitude to Karim Makhlouf and the team at Royal Jordanian for their immaculate hospitality and unforgettable experience. The Saudi Times invites our readers to explore Jordan, whether for a weekend escape, a family adventure, or a special celebration. Just a short flight from Saudi Arabia, with dedicated partners ready to welcome you, this initiative is the fruit of Karim Makhlouf’s vision and hard work, positioning him at the center of aviation leadership and innovation.
The Saudi Times crowns Explore Jordan with the same royal status that adorned our luggage tags throughout this journey. Welcome to Jordan, come taste the extraordinary food, climb the ancient steps, and take time to truly connect with its remarkable people.
Fasten your seatbelts, Makhlouf has more to come, with ambitious plans for growth, expansion, and deeper connections with Saudi Arabia. Jordan isn’t just a destination; it’s a revelation waiting just next door.
Thank you, Royal Jordanian, for showing us that sometimes the most extraordinary journeys are the ones closest to home. Book your Explore Jordan experience today and discover why this boutique destination deserves a place on every Saudi traveler’s list.
The Jordan Brief
Royal Jordanian connects to 62 destinations globally, with 5 direct routes to Saudi Arabia and a growing fleet of 42 aircraft. Explore Jordan offers the first integrated booking platform combining flights, hotels, and restaurants in one place.
Partners
The Saudi Times thanks the following partners for their support of this feature:
- Four Seasons (@fsamman)
- Underground Amman (@undergoundamman)
- Marriott Dead Sea (@deadseamarriott)
- St. Regis (+ Zenith) (@stregisamman @zenithamman)
- Majora (@majorajordan)
- Avis (@avisjordanofficial)
- @RANIABEAUTE.
