King Khalid International Airport (RUH)

Last verified: October 2026 · Confirmed by travelers this month: 0

The answer

The Riyadh Metro Yellow Line (Line 4) terminates at King Khalid International with three stations — Airport T1-2, Airport T3-4 and Airport T5 — and a Regular 2-hour pass costs just SAR 4 (First Class SAR 10), giving unlimited rides on metro and buses for its window; the airport sells nothing pricier and taxis start around ten times that.

Riyadh Public Transport charges a flat time-based fare, so airport → KAFD → downtown is one SAR 4 ticket with a change at KAFD for the Blue or Purple lines — and you can simply tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate.

Tight budget? One SAR 4 pass covers the metro and any onward Riyadh Bus ride inside two hours.
Landed after midnight or on a Friday with luggage? The app cars (Uber, Careem, Bolt, Jeeny) run 24/7 from the terminals for roughly SAR 55–100 to central districts — no published tariff.

🚇 Every way out — real prices

Riyadh Metro Yellow Line (Line 4) — airport stations BEST FOR MOST

SAR 4 (2-hour Regular) · SAR 10 First Class · tap a contactless card

Line 4 runs from KAFD to the airport with three stops matched to the terminals: Airport T5, Airport T3-4 and the terminus Airport T1-2, the station at Terminal 1 sitting near the arrivals area. Fares are network-wide time passes, not per-distance: Regular 2-hour SAR 4, 3-day SAR 20, 7-day SAR 40, 30-day SAR 140; First Class SAR 10/50/100/350; under-6s free with a paying adult. Pay by tapping a contactless bank card, Apple Pay or Mada Pay at the gate, or buy a reusable darb card (SAR 10) at station machines. Airport pages put service around 06:00–midnight — confirm first/last train in the darb app. At KAFD change to Line 1 (Blue) or Line 6 (Purple) for the rest of the network.

Ride-hailing — Uber, Careem, Bolt, Jeeny

app quote; city trips typically SAR 55–110 (not a published tariff)

The airport's official taxi page lists four ride-hailing apps — Uber, Careem, Bolt and Jeeny — available 24/7 at all five terminals, with pickups at arrivals-floor columns (e.g. Terminal 1 Column 11-14; Terminals 3/4 Columns 33-34). No fare table is published; the in-app quote is the price, and it can surge after evening prayers and Thu/Fri nights.

Airport taxi rank (licensed operators)

meter/quote, not published; central Riyadh reported SAR 70–130

Several licensed companies (including Airport Taxi, Serb, Shift and others per the airport page) queue at each terminal, 24/7, on the arrivals floor by column. Riyadh taxis are metered; insist it runs from departure. Treat any 'flat price' sold to you inside the hall as unlicensed.

Pre-booked private transfer

fixed quote — sedan commonly quoted SAR 120–200

Hotel and chauffeur transfers are quoted in advance and meet you inside arrivals; useful for late flights when the metro has stopped, though the app cars are usually cheaper for the same car.

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⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

Terminal 5 is a separate cluster — get off at the right metro station

RUH is five terminals in two groups: T1–T4 sit in one connected complex and T5 (domestic, plus Saudia/Flyadeal hubs in the current layout) stands apart. The Yellow Line has three different airport stations (T1-2, T3-4, T5); alighting at the wrong one means a shuttle or inter-terminal walk before you even leave the airport.

Do this: check your terminal on the baggage carousel screen, then alight at the matching 'Airport T…' station

No metro overnight — the 'SAR 4 plan' dies at midnight

The airport shows Line 4 airport service around 06:00 to midnight. A 01:00 landing into a metro-priced budget is really an app-car or taxi landing, at several times the fare. RPT does not publish an airport timetable you can rely on months ahead.

Do this: open the darb app at the gate to check today's first/last train before you commit; land overnight → book the car

One bank card taps one rider

The gate readers take contactless Visa/Mastercard/Apple Pay, but the official pages never say one card can pay for a group — a second tap will look like an unfinished journey and jam the gate. Each adult needs their own card, phone wallet, darb card or app QR ticket.

Do this: buy one ticket per adult (darb cards/QR from the app cover everyone) before pushing through

The SAR 575 kerb fee — waiting in the wrong spot

The airport's own FAQ states drop-off/pick-up zones allow 5 minutes free, after which a violation fee of SAR 575 applies for exceeding the standing time. Friends circling to 'meet you at Column 11' rack this up against the designated pick-up areas.

Do this: if someone is driving you out, they wait in the designated pick-up area (2 min walk to arrivals), not the kerb

💡 Know before you walk

The SAR 4 pass is unlimited on BOTH metro and Riyadh Bus for two hours — transfers and a later evening hop are already paid.
Staying a few days? A 3-day pass is SAR 20 and a 7-day SAR 40 — from about six rides the pass beats 2-hour tickets.
The darb card costs SAR 10 once and is topped at any station machine; ticket offices are roughly 05:30–23:30.
Compare Uber, Careem, Bolt and Jeeny side by side at Column 11 (T1) before confirming — app quotes move with demand and there is no published airport tariff.
Under-6s ride free with a paying adult on metro and bus — no ticket needed for them at the gate.
Terminal 1's metro station is near arrivals; for T5 arrivals follow 'Airport T5' signage before leaving the terminal precinct.

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📄 Take it offline

One-page PDF — download before you fly. Works with zero signal.

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King Khalid International Airport (RUH)

🚇 Every way out — real prices

⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

💡 Know before you walk

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