Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Riyadh to Shanghai. Right-side seats win overall due to superior takeoff views of the Tuwaiq Escarpment, which is the most visually dramatic feature on this route. While landing favors the left, the takeoff experience is more geographically distinctive.

During takeoff from King Khaled International (RUH), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats capture the Tuwaiq Escarpment's dramatic limestone cliffs rising 150m above the Riyadh plateau during the initial climb. The escarpment runs northeast-southwest and is the dominant topographic feature visible from RUH's typical eastbound departures. Notable sights include: Tuwaiq Escarpment (limestone ridge east of Riyadh), Riyadh city grid sprawling beneath, Wadi Hanifah valley system cutting through the plateau, Saudi Arabian desert plains extending to the horizon.

When landing at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats provide the best view of Shanghai's Huangpu River meanders and the Pudong skyline during final approach. PVG typically uses runways 08L/08R for eastbound arrivals, positioning aircraft on a westerly heading where the left side faces the river and financial district. Notable sights include: Huangpu River with its distinctive horseshoe bends, Pudong financial district skyline (Oriental Pearl Tower, Lujiazui towers), Yangtze River delta flatlands, East China Sea coastline to the east.

The flight from King Khaled International (RUH) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) takes Approximately 5 hours 45 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Zagros Mountains' eastern foothills (visible around 1.5 hours out), then transitions over the Iranian plateau and Dasht-e Kavir desert. The Caspian Sea remains far to the north. After crossing into Turkmenistan airspace, the route continues southeast over the Kopet Dag mountains (distant, on the horizon), then across the Karakum Desert. Entering Uzbekistan and Tajikistan airspace, the Pamir Mountains appear to the south (visible as a distant ridge). The flight then crosses the Taklamakan Desert in western China—a vast, featureless expanse of tan and brown. As the aircraft approaches eastern China, the terrain transitions to the North China Plain, with the Yangtze River valley becoming visible approximately 30 minutes before landing. The final approach crosses the flat Yangtze River delta with its dense network of waterways and agricultural fields.