Emirates to introduce new Boeing 777 first class cabins on Middle East flights

The private suites will be introduced on the Riyadh and Kuwait routes

The new Boeing 777 First Class suite with virtual windows and an inspiration kit. Courtesy Emirates

Dining in first class. Courtesy Emirates

An artistic motif representing the Ghaf (prosopis cineraria) tree, is used as a design highlight throughout the aircraft. Courtesy Emirates

The fully enclosed private suites. Courtesy Emirates

The “zero-gravity” position inspired by NASA technology, giving a feeling of relaxation and weightlessness. Courtesy Emirates

The business class cabin. Courtesy Emirates

The business class cabin. Courtesy Emirates

The economy class cabin. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates is introducing its new first class cabins on flights in the Middle East for the first time.

The airline will operate its latest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the suites on the Dubai to Riyadh route from April 16 and Dubai to Kuwait from June 1.

This has come about due to the "significant premium demand" seen on these routes, Emirates said.

Look through the photo gallery above to see more of the cabins.

The first class cabins haven't been used before in the region then?

No. The airline currently operates its latest Boeing 777 with the cabins on flights to Brussels, Geneva, Vienna and London Stansted. They were first announced in November 2017 and entered commercial service the following month for flights to Geneva and Brussels.

What can passengers expect from the cabins?

Extremely comfortable surroundings for sure. Inspired by Mercedes-Benz, the cabins took four years to design.

They come with soft leather seating, hi-tech control panels, mood lighting, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and an area of up to 40-square-feet of personal space.

There are six of them on board in a 1-1-1 configuration.

President Tim Clark said at the initial unveiling: "This is the first time an Emirates product has been so influenced by another luxury brand, but it is a natural fit as both Emirates and Mercedes-Benz have the same unwavering commitment to fine detail, uncompromising quality, and a drive to push the boundaries.”

Emirates says the seats recline into a fully flat bed that manoeuvres into multiple positions and "can be placed in a zero-gravity state inspired by Nasa technology, for a feeling of weightlessness while flying".

Meanwhile, the business class seats are said to be inspired by the interior of a modern sports car.

Are there also virtual windows?

Now, being in such a configuration means the cabin positioned in the centre of the aircraft won't have any windows. So, Emirates has introduced virtual windows whereby a view from outside the aircraft is projected using fibre-optic camera technology. And for those who have the regular windows, binoculars are available to explore the landscape below (as long as it isn't too cloudy).

Which flights will use the upgraded aircraft?

Passengers going to and from Saudi Arabia will find the upgraded suites on flight EK 819 departing Dubai at 6.55am, arriving in Riyadh at 7.30am. The return flight EK 820 leaves Riyadh at 9.35am, arriving in Dubai at 12.30pm. It will fly five times a week.

For Kuwait, it will be flight code EK 855, which departs Dubai at 7.45am, arriving in Kuwait at 8.25am. The return flight EK 856 leaves Kuwait at 9.50am, arriving in Dubai at 12.40pm. The service will operate daily on what is the busiest route across the Middle East and North Africa.

What else has Emirates been up to recently?

It has been busy ramping up its special livery fleet with its Expo 2020 decal now on 40 of its aircraft.

It has also announced its new Dubai-Cairo schedule starting from October 28, with four additional flights per week.

It will also add a second daily flight from Dubai to London Stansted, starting from July 1.