Is there a metro from Riyadh airport to the city?
Yes. King Khalid International Airport's metro page lists Yellow Line (Line 4) stations serving Terminals 1 and 2, Terminals 3 and 4, and Terminal 5. The Yellow Line opened with the first phase of the network on 1 December 2024, described by the Saudi Press Agency as the King Khalid International Airport Road line.
The line is 29.7 km long with 10 stations, according to a later SPA report on the network. The same report names KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District) as one of four main stations on the 176 km system, and Visit Saudi's metro guide lists KAFD, Ar Rabi and Uthman Bin Affan Road among the Yellow Line stops.
"City centre" is loose in Riyadh. Olaya, the business district and the older centre around Qasr Al Hokm are all on the metro but on different lines, so plan your final station in the darb app before you leave the terminal and check where you need to change.
How much is the metro from the airport and how do I pay?
The airport publishes the full fare table. Every product gives unlimited rides on both the metro and Riyadh buses for its time window, so a single 2-hour pass covers a transfer to another line or a bus to your hotel.
| Pass | Regular class | First Class |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | SAR 4 | SAR 10 |
| 3 days | SAR 20 | SAR 50 |
| 7 days | SAR 40 | SAR 100 |
| 30 days | SAR 140 | SAR 350 |
Children under six ride free with a fare-paying adult. Riyadh Public Transport's FAQ gives the same regular prices and a 50% discount for eligible groups, including under-18s, students and people aged 60 and over. Check the eligibility conditions with Riyadh Public Transport before relying on a discount.
You have three ways to pay:
- Tap a contactless bank card or Apple Pay at the gate reader. This is the quickest option on arrival.
- Buy a darb card from a ticket vending machine. Riyadh Public Transport prices the card itself at SAR 10, before any fare is loaded.
- Buy a digital ticket in the darb app, which the Saudi Press Agency says also lets you set your destination and plan the trip.
Taxis and ride-hailing apps
The airport's taxi page lists four ride-hailing apps (Uber, Careem, Bolt and Jeeny) and five taxi operators (Satco, Capital Transport Co., Serb, Shift and Airport Taxi), all available 24 hours a day. Pick-up points are on the arrivals floor of each terminal, identified by column number.
The airport does not publish a tariff for any of them, so the fare you pay is whatever the meter or the app quote says. Compare two apps before you confirm: app prices can move with demand.
If a friend is collecting you rather than a taxi, the airport's parking page lists ParkSHORT at SAR 10 per hour up to SAR 130 a day. That is cheaper than circling while you clear immigration and baggage.
Which option should I choose?
The metro wins on price and on predictability in Riyadh traffic, but it stops at midnight and ends at a station, not your door.
| Option | Cost | When it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Line, regular | SAR 4 per adult (2-hour pass) | 6:00am to midnight | Solo travellers and pairs with 1–2 bags each |
| Yellow Line, First Class | SAR 10 per adult | 6:00am to midnight | More space for luggage at peak times |
| Ride-hailing app | App quote, not published | 24/7 | Groups, late arrivals, door-to-door |
| Airport taxi firms | Meter or quoted fare, not published | 24/7 | No mobile data or app account |
Worked example: one traveller
You land at Terminal 1 at 3pm with a suitcase and a backpack, heading to a hotel near KAFD. Tap your card at the Yellow Line gate and pay SAR 4. The pass stays valid for two hours, so a short bus ride from the station is included if your hotel is not next to the exit.
Worked example: a family of four with luggage
Two adults and two children, one aged 5 and one aged 9, with four large cases. On the regular metro the fare is SAR 12, because the 5-year-old travels free and, assuming no concession applies, the 9-year-old pays the full SAR 4. In First Class the same trip costs SAR 30. A single ride-app car for all four is one fare, not four, so once your app quote is below SAR 30 and the cases would crowd a metro carriage, the car is the better choice. If you land after 11pm, take the car anyway, because a transfer later in the trip could leave you at a station after the last train.
Buses from the airport
Riyadh Bus uses the same fares and darb card as the metro. The Royal Commission for Riyadh City set the bus fare at SAR 4 for two hours when the service launched in 2023. The airport's transport pages do not list a direct bus from the terminals, so treat the bus as a connection from a metro station rather than an airport option. Riyadh Public Transport says eating and drinking are not allowed on its buses.
Driving from the airport
Car rental desks and chauffeur services are also listed on the airport's transport page. If you plan to drive, read our Saudi Arabia rental car and Saher fines guide first. For everything else on the network, including which line to change to, see our Riyadh metro tickets and lines guide.