Riyadh Airport has a total of 5 public terminals, divided by airline.
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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.
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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.
