Arriving in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam
Ride-hailing is the answer at every Saudi airport, and Riyadh finally has a metro.
The main doors
- King Khalid International (RUH), Riyadh - the capital, about 35 km north of the centre.
- King Abdulaziz International (JED), Jeddah - the gateway for Mecca, the Red Sea and the old town of Al Balad.
- King Fahd International (DMM), Dammam - the Eastern Province, and the causeway to Bahrain.
- All three issue the eVisa on arrival if you did not get one in advance.
Getting into town
- Uber and Careem both work at every Saudi airport and are what residents and visitors use. This is the simplest answer and the prices are reasonable.
- Airport taxis exist and are metered or fixed-price; agree it first if there is no meter.
- The Riyadh Metro opened in 2024 and Line 2 does not reach the airport, but Line 4 does - which makes Riyadh the one Saudi city where the train is a serious option from the terminal.
- Jeddah and Dammam have no airport rail. Ride-hailing or a taxi.
Between cities
- The Haramain High Speed Railway runs Jeddah to Mecca to Medina at 300 km/h and is excellent. Non-Muslims cannot travel to the Mecca station, which is worth knowing before booking.
- Riyadh to Dammam has a train; Riyadh to Jeddah does not, and the flight is short and frequent.
What to wear off the plane
- Both men and women should wear loose clothing covering the elbows and to below the knee. This applies from the moment you are in the terminal.
- Women are not required to wear an abaya, which changed in 2019 and which a great deal of older advice has not caught up with. A headscarf is not required either, outside a mosque.
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