Study in Saudi Arabia - GETTING TO Saudi Arabia

By Air

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is internationally known and it connects Saudi Arabia to the rest of the world.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has 25 airports.Three are international, eight regional and fourteen domestic. International airports include:

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh
Thirty-five kilometers north of the capital Riyadh, it was opened in 1983 (1403 H). Built on an area of 225 sq. kilometers, its operational capacity is 7.5 million passengers annually. Website: http://www.riyadh-airport.com/

The King Khalid International Airport was opened in 1983 (1403/04 AH). Located 35 kilometers north of Riyadh, with a land area of 225 square kilometers, the King Khalid International Airport is a masterpiece of modern architecture, blending traditional Arab design with the requirements of efficiency, and incorporating into the whole the essential Islamic character of the Kingdom. It is decorated with the works of many Saudi artists. It has four terminals and, from its inauguration, had the capacity to handle 7.5 million passengers a year. By 2000, its capacity had doubled.

King Fahad International Airport in Dhahran

The third international airport, the King Fahd International Airport, is at Dhahran. This airport has an area of 780 square kilometers, making it the largest airport in the Kingdom. There are two parallel runways, each is 4,000 meters long. The airport has the capacity to handle 7 million passengers annually.

Besides serving Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saudia these airports also serve a large number of international airlines. From all main airports there is limousine service to the traveler's destination. There is also a regular SAPTCO (Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company) bus service from the airports to various hotels town centre.

Airline Offices in Saudi Arabia:

By Land

There are buses between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. There is also a car ferry which links Jeddah to Suez, as well as passenger-only services from Jeddah to Port Sudan and Musawwa (in Eritrea). There is no departure tax.

By Sea

Commercial Seaports

The number of quays at the Kingdom's ports increased from 27 in 1975 (1395 H) to 182 in 1994 - 1995 (1414 - 1415 H), including 23 at Yanbu's King Fahd Industrial Port. There are 112 maritime companies in the Kingdom which owns 11 ships and has shares in 48 others.

The major seaports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are:

• Jeddah Islamic Seaport.
• King Abdul Aziz Seaport - Dammam, on the Arabian Gulf.
• King Fahd Industrial Seaport - Jubail, on the Arabian Gulf.
• King Fahd International Seaport - Yanbu, on the Red Sea.
• Jizan Seaport - in the south of the Kingdom, on the Red Sea.
• Jubail Commercial Seaport, on the Arabian Gulf.
• Yanbu Commercial Seaport, on the Red Sea.

These ports are run by the Saudi Ports Authority.

These are all commercial ports and are not designed to cater for tourist.