Transfer at Riyadh Airport
Riyadh Airport has a total of 5 public terminals, divided by airline.
Book a room - hotels near RUH Airport
Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 are connected into one long building with three concourses (one for each terminal). The newest Terminal 5 is located approximately 1.5 km south of Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4.
On the opposite side of the airport is Royal Terminal, used exclusively for flights of the Saudi royal family.
Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4
The original terminals, built in 1983, are interconnected to form a single building. The space is quite cramped and there is often a shortage of seating after security checks, especially in the morning and night rush hours when most flights depart.
- Terminal 1 - currently undergoing extensive renovation and is not used for check-in
- Terminal 2 - Air Arabia, airblue, Air Cairo, Air India, Azerbaijan Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Egyptair, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Fly Bosnia, flydubai, Gulf Air, Indigo, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Oman Air, Pakistan Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Salam Air, Spicejet, Srilankan Airlines, Tarco Aviation, Yemenia
- Terminal 3 - Flyadeal (international flights only), Flynas (international flights only), KLM, Middle East Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Wizz Air
- Terminal 4 - Saudia (international flights only)
Terminal 5
The newest terminal, built in 2016, is also the largest and most well-equipped with services.
It serves all domestic flights within Saudi Arabia.
- Terminal 5 - Flyadeal (domestic flights only), Flynas (domestic flights only), Saudia (domestic flights only)
Transfer between flights
The transfer at Riyadh Airport is very well organised and straightforward. Although international terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 are not among the most modern airport structures, the airport's many restaurants make transfers easy.
When changing planes, you go through security in the transit area. However, you do not have to leave the transit area when transferring between international flights.
Most transfers take place within a single terminal, but even if you need to transfer between terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, you do not need to leave the transit area. All buildings are interconnected by corridors in both the transit and public areas.
Book a room - RUH airport hotels
Do I need a visa when transferring?
There is no need to arrange an expensive visa for Saudi Arabia as long as the transfer time does not exceed 12 hours. This is because you do not leave the transit area during the transfer and therefore do not go through passport control at all.
You will only need to obtain a visa if you combine your transfer in Riyadh on your own from two separately purchased tickets.
What checks do I go through when I change planes?
You will always go through a security checkpoint during your transfer, which is exclusively for transfer passengers and is located within the transit zone.
The security checkpoint is always separated into rows for men and women.
If you are transferring from an international flight to a domestic flight or vice versa, you will of course also go through passport control.
What is the minimum transfer time?
The official minimum transfer time within Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, where all international transfers take place, is 75 minutes.
During this time, you can easily get through security.
For transfers between terminals, the minimum time is set at 120 minutes.
Transfer between terminals
You can move between terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 on foot via the internal corridors, both landside and airside.
The distance from the end of Terminal 1 to the end of Terminal 4 is approximately 1.5 km.
To connect to/from domestic flights, you need to move to Terminal 5, 2 km away.
A free shuttle bus runs between all terminals on the outdoor public section, every 10 minutes for 24 hours a day. The bus journey time is approximately 7 minutes.
Looking for a hotel for an overnight stay before a morning flight or transfer? Choose the best hotel near Riyadh airport.
Hotels near the terminal
Unfortunately, you won't find any hotels inside the transit zone, so you'll have to spend the night in the terminal or pay for an expensive visa to Saudi Arabia if you have a long layover.
The free transit visa to leave the airport is only granted for 12 hours.
There are two hotels in the immediate vicinity of the airport. Both offer private transfers to all terminals for a fee of around 60 sar. So it may be cheaper to use taxi apps Uber or Careem.
- Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel ***** - 5 minutes drive from the airport
- Radisson Hotel Riyadh Airport ***** - 10 minutes drive from the airport
Hotels in Riyadh
The capital of Saudi Arabia has no historic centre and most tourists get around Riyadh by taxi. So choose your hotel based on price or popular chains that operate in Riyadh in large numbers.
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
9 comments
URGENT. I fly from Muscat (Oman) to Rome (Italy) and I’m connecting in Riyadh. At Muscat check in I’ve been given a ticket only (to Riyadh) and I’ve been told to go to transfer desk in Riyadh for the second ticket. I could not find the transfer desk In terminal 1, but I’ve been told to get the ticket at the gate. Is it so?
Yes, it can be. They should be able to print the boarding pass at the gate ;)
I will be travelling from Jakarta/Indonesia to Paris in May flying with Saudia airlines, when in transit, do I need to collect my luggage again and check in again?
You don't have to if you have purchased flights as 1 booking.
Hello can you please help answer my question? if I fly from jeddah to istanbul, connecting flight for 4 hours at riyadh airport, from terminal 5 to terminal 4, do I need a visa? or can I continue my journey without using a visa? because the transit area from terminal 5 to terminal 4 is not connected?
Hello. I don't really understand right now. Jeddah is in the same country as Riyadh, so if you stay in Jeddah you still need a visa for Saudi Arabia.
Hi. I have a flight from Heathrow to Abu dhabi with a 90 min transit in Riyadh. The ticket is with Saudia butbthe leg from Riyadh to Abu dhabi is being operates by Etihad. Will I require a transit visa for this. I land into terminal 4 but leave from terminal 2 I believe.
Hi, if the trip is bought as a single booking then no transit visa is needed - you will not be leaving the transit zone. It takes about 25 minutes to walk between terminals 2 and 4.
Yes bought as one ticket with Saudia.
Thank you very much.
HI EVERYONE.I HAVE A FLIGHT FROM LONDON TO RIYADH ON 6TH FEBRUARY 2025 WHICH WILL BE LANDING AT TERMINAL 3, AND THEN HAVE A LONG LAYOVER FOR AROUND 13 HOURS TO CATCH MY NEXT FLIGHT TO PAKISTAN WITH SAUDI AIRLINE.
HOW CAN I TRANSFER TERMINALS WITH BIG LUGGAGE BAGS AS I WILL PASS IMMIGRATION FIRST AND THEN HAVE TO GET TO TERMINAL 4 DEPARTURE.
i DID MY RESEARCH ON CHANING TERMINALS BUT NOT ENOUGH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO TRANSFER AFTER PASSING THE IMMIGRATION DESK.
ANY LEAD WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
In the first case, you need a visa for Saudi Arabia. You will be leaving the transit area, collecting your luggage and checking in again.
The terminals are then directly connected, just follow the signs.
Hi, I hope you can help me with this information because Air Saudia doesn't give me any answers. I booked with them a ticket for this summer to Malè with a 9h transit to Riyad overnight. I had read that the company sent you a free transit visa which you never received. I read that you said that transits up to 12h are free, but how do you get the visa? Directly at the airport? We just want to go out to spend the night at the nearest hotel as we have a baby, but I don't want to pay 100€ each for a visa to see nothing. How can I do that? Thank you very much.
Hi, you should see the visas in Manage my booking on the Saudia website - or add them.
The visas then go to your email, also check your spam folder to see if they have arrived there.
The 12 hour limit is designed to ensure that no one will ask you for a visa in this case, but you must stay in the airport terminal.
Do you think I am entitled to them even if I booked Saudia flights but through another website? Because I can't find anything and Air Saudia's telephone support can't help me.
Hello, we have a 7-hour stopover on departure and arrival at terminal 4. I can't find a lounge in terminal 4. Can we transfer to other terminals to access the lounges? There are a lot of bad comments about this airport, from the unprofessional agents to the delays and lost luggage. I have to admit that I'm quite apprehensive.
Hello, Terminal 4 is used for Saudia flights and is quite large. There are plenty of options for a coffee, snack or main meal.
The lounge here is Saudia airlines only and I'm not sure if they will allow you in unless you have status or are flying business class. However, it was fairly full for the duration of my visit (we spent 11 hours there).
It is definitely possible to survive the transfer, the reviews don't match the reality. I was pleasantly surprised.
I hope to be one too. It's always trickier with children. Initially it wasn't the airport we were supposed to have...
I had a flight with Saudia aircraft from Medina to Istanbul transit Riyadh airport for 3 hours. Moving from terminal 5 to terminal 4. How to move? What is the luggage? What is the minimum time required to move from T5 to T4? Thank you
A free shuttle bus runs between the terminals every 10 minutes. Your luggage should go to your final destination, Istanbul, and you do not have to deal with it during the transfer.
Hello everyone, I have to travel with a connection, trnasfert, to RUH, Riyadh of 2h00.
I'm arriving from JED, Jeddah, terminal 5 to leave two hours later from terminal 4 for an international flight.
All this with the same company, Saudia. Is the time allowed enough, please?
Thank you for your help.
Hey. Hey. Yes, if the ticket is bought as one booking, then any time sold by the airline is sufficient.
2 hours is fine.
thank you for this contribution