King Khalid International Airport

Terminal 1 + 2: International — Saudia long-haul + foreign carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Lufthansa, BA, KLM, AF, Turkish, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Air India, Indigo, PIA). Terminal 3: Saudia domestic. Terminal 4: low-cost domestic (flyadeal + flynas). Terminal 5: Royal family + government + Hajj charters (not public).

Riyadh Metro Line 1 (Blue Line) — SAR 4-6, 40-60 min direct to King Khalid Financial District, Olaya, Downtown. Phase 1 opened 2024-2025. Best option for most travellers. Careem or Uber SAR 50-95 (30-60 min). Official airport limousine taxi SAR 80-130. Use only the official taxi rank — avoid touts.

Most need an e-visa. Saudi Arabia introduced e-visa in 2019 for 60+ countries (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia + more). SAR 535 (~$140), 1-year multiple-entry, 90-day stays. Apply at visa.visitsaudi.com — approval typically 24-48 hours. Visa-on-arrival available for some passport holders. Hajj + Umrah have separate visa categories.

A mega-airport planned for 2030+ that will eventually replace King Khalid International (RUH). Part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Designed for 120M passengers/year (3x current RUH capacity), 6 parallel runways, 12 sq km area — one of the largest airports in the world by area. RUH will be progressively merged into the new airport. Riyadh Air (new flag carrier announced 2023) will be the launch tenant.

Saudi Arabia's new flag carrier — announced 2023 by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Plans 100+ destinations + 200+ aircraft (787s + A321neos initially). Service launch targeted late 2025 from RUH. Designed to compete with Emirates + Qatar + Etihad for Gulf hub traffic. Will be the main carrier at the future King Salman International Airport.

International: 3 hours. Domestic: 2 hours. RUH security can hit 30-60 min waits at peak (early morning departures + late evening). Saudia Business + Alfursan Platinum + SkyTeam Elite Plus get fast track. Saudi immigration on arrival can be slow (45-90 min at peak) — bring patience + completed e-visa printout.