I originally had no plans at all for this Christmas and was fully prepared to just lie around at home. Then, by chance, I came across news of the newly opened world’s tallest hotel in Dubai and that’s when I started planning a Dubai trip. Even though I booked a bit late, there were still plenty of flight options. In the end, I chose a London – Jeddah – Dubai itinerary on Saudia, redeemed with Virgin points, which turned out to be excellent value.
It had been a long time since I’d been to Heathrow Terminal 4. The SkyTeam lounge there has long since closed, and after spending ages checking both the SkyTeam and Saudia websites, I concluded that there was probably no alliance lounge available and that I’d have to use the Plaza Premium Lounge. Only at check-in was I told, wow, that Saudia actually has its own lounge!
Following the signs, I still ended up at the Plaza Premium Lounge, but there were Saudia logos posted at the entrance, which left me a bit confused. It was only after asking at the front desk that I learned Saudia’s lounge is actually upstairs.
This space used to be the SkyTeam lounge. After it closed, Plaza Premium took over the site, and the second floor was refurbished and reopened under the Saudia brand in April 2025. Note that this is not an alliance-wide Skyteam lounge (which is why you won’t find it on the SkyTeam website). It’s only accessible to Saudia’s premium-class or elite passengers. This is one of the quirks of SkyTeam: lounge access often depends on bilateral agreements between airlines rather than being universally shared across the alliance.
The main advantages are how quiet and uncrowded it is, as well as the generous amount of space, which feels very relaxing. Aside from the floor tiles, the Arabian ambience isn’t particularly strong.
Further inside is the buffet area, along with coffee machines and soft drink dispensers.
That day’s hot food selection included:
- Penne arabiata
- Str fried noodles with honey soy vegetables
- Broccoli with almonds
- Roasted potatoes with rosemary
- Roasted vegetables with coconut milk
- Vegetable miso soup with tofu
- Spicy butternut soup with harissa chicken
- Lamb curry
- Cod fillets with sweet and sour peppers
- Beef mandi
- Butter chicken curry
- Steamed rice
The variety was impressive, with both vegetarian and meat options. There were Middle Eastern specialties like roasted chicken and mandi, alongside Asian flavours such as fried noodles and miso soup – plenty of choice overall.
In terms of food, this was genuinely one of the highest-quality lounges I’ve visited recently.
In keeping with national policy, one defining feature of Saudia is that it’s a dry airline, meaning no alcohol is served either onboard or on the ground. To balance this, however, the lounge features a beautifully designed tea bar.
Drinks menu:
There are non-alcoholic sparkling wine and mocktails available.
Final verdict: the Saudia lounge offers very solid facilities and a peaceful atmosphere. While there’s no alcohol, the food more than makes up for it. Unfortunately, access is limited to Saudia’s own passengers, so most people probably won’t have many chances to visit.
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