Jeddah Airport is best reached by car, either by rental car or taxi.
There are no regular bus services to King Khalid Airport in Riyadh. A metro is being built to the airport, which could be operational by late 2024/2025.
Taxis, Uber, Careem and others
By far the most straightforward and easiest option for getting to central Riyadh are taxis.
You can get a car at all terminals at any time of the day or night without any problems.
There are regular taxis running strictly with a meter, as well as alternative apps where you can order a car via your mobile and know the price upfront. You pay directly from the mobile app, where you enter your credit card details.
How to order a taxi?
In Riyadh and Saudi Arabia in general, mobile apps for taxis are very popular.
Most people in Riyadh use the Careem mobile app (available at: careem.com), but the world-famous Uber app (available at: uber.com) or Bolt (available at: bolt.eu) also work well here.
The Jeeny app also works in Riyadh.
Taxis can be hailed via the mobile app to terminals 2, 3 and 5.
You should ideally book your car after exiting the airport concourse. Waiting time is usually 5-10 minutes. If you don't want to spend time buying a local sim card upon arrival, purchase an electronic sim card online before you fly to Saudi Arabia without worrying. airalo.com.
Taxi prices
Prices on the Uber and Careem apps are dynamic and depend on demand. Here are examples of average prices to specific locations from the airport.
- Kingdom Center: 105 sar
- Al Rahji Mosque: 110 sar
- Masmak Fortress: 137 sar
- Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University: 67 sar
Taxi prices are calculated strictly according to the taxi meter:
- Starting rate: 20 sar
- 1 km ride: 2,10 sar
- 1 minute wait (if the car speed is below 20 km/h): 0,90 sar
Car rental
If you're not just spending time in Riyadh, but heading out to explore the natural beauty of Saudi Arabia, hiring a car is the most cost-effective option.
Foreigners can rent a car without restrictions. All you need is an international driving license and a credit card.
Prices for a weekly rental at Riyadh Airport start at 260 eur.
Metro 4
The Riyadh Metro is under construction, with a total of 6 lines scheduled to start operating gradually from the end of 2024.
Line 4, the yellow line, will run to the airport and connect to the blue line towards the city centre in the financial district in the north of the city.