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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Saudi Arabia

Note: There is a continuing high threat of terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Following terrorist attacks in May and June 2004, it is suspected that terrorists are planning further attacks, including against Westerners and places associated with Westerners in Saudi Arabia. All necessary steps to protect safety and to guarantee strict security arrangements should be undertaken. It should also be remembered that Islamic law is strictly enforced in Saudi Arabia. International Airports Riyadh (RUH) (King Khaled International) airport, 35km (22 miles) north of the city. Dhahran (DHA) (Al Khobar) airport, 13km (8 miles) southeast of Dhahran (travel time – 15 minutes). Jeddah (JED) (King Abdul Aziz) airport, 18km (11 miles) north of the city (travel time – 30 minutes). Facilities at all the above airports include bus and taxi services, banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shopping, car rental, restaurants and tourist information points. From Jeddah airport, bus and taxi services are available for Mecca, Medina and Taif. Dammam (DMM) (King Fahd International) airport, 30km (19) miles northwest of Dammam (travel time – 45 minutes). Departure tax: SR50. Children, Hajj and Ummra pilgrims and passengers accompanying human remains are exempt. Back to Top Air Travel There are many domestic airports and air travel is by far the most convenient way of travelling around the country. Saudia (SV) connects all main centres. ‘Arabian Express’ economy class connects Jeddah with Riyadh in just over 1 hour and Riyadh with Dhahran in just under 1 hour (no advance reservations). A boarding pass should be obtained the evening before departure. There are special flights for pilgrims arriving at or departing from Jeddah during the Hajj. Saudi Arabia’s national airline is Saudia (SV) (website: www.saudiairlines.com). Approximate flight times: From London to Jeddah is 5 hours 50 minutes, to Riyadh is 6 hours 25 minutes, and to Dhahran is 6 hours 45 minutes. From Los Angeles to Jeddah is 18 hours 45 minutes and to Riyadh is 21 hours 15 minutes. From New York to Jeddah is 13 hours and to Riyadh is 16 hours. From Singapore to Jeddah is 8 hours 25 minutes. Back to Top Travel By Water Dhows may be chartered for outings on both coasts. The main international passenger ports are Dammam (Gulf), and Jeddah and Yanbu (Red Sea). Back to Top Rail Children under 4 travel free. Children aged 4 to 11 pay half fare. The main railway line is the 570km-long Riyadh–Dammam line, which links Dhahran, Abqaiq, Hofuf, Harad and Al Kharj. There is a daily service in air conditioned trains with dining car. An additional line links Riyadh with Hofuf. The railway on the west coast made famous by Lawrence of Arabia’s raid has long since been abandoned to the desert. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. There are approximately 150,000km (93,000 miles) of roads linking the main towns and rural areas, of which 22,000km (13,600 miles) are paved. The network is constantly being upgraded and expanded (most recently, an expressway has been built from Jeddah to Medina and the trans-peninsula road from Jeddah to Dammam has been upgraded) and on the main routes, much of it is of the highest standard. The corniche that winds down the escarpment between Taif and Mecca is as spectacular a feat of engineering as may be seen anywhere, as is the King Fahed Gateway that links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. However, standards of driving are erratic, particularly in the Eastern Province, where it is not unknown for lorry drivers to equip their vehicles with hub-knives similar to those seen in the film Ben Hur. Criteria for apportioning blame after traffic accidents are also erratic and many driving offences carry an automatic prison sentence. As foreigners are tolerated rather than welcomed in Saudi Arabia, it is best to drive with extreme caution at all times. Women are not allowed to drive vehicles or ride bicycles on public roads. Non-Muslims may not enter Mecca or the immediate area; police are stationed to ensure that they turn off onto a specially built ring road, known amongst expatriates as the ‘Christian Bypass’. Bus: Services have recently been developed by SAPTCO to serve inter-urban and local needs. Modern vehicles have been acquired, including air conditioned double-deckers. All buses must have a screened-off section for the exclusive use of female passengers. Taxi: Available in all cities, but often very expensive. Some have meters, and fares should be negotiated in advance. Car hire: The major international car hire agencies have offices in Saudi Arabia. The minimum age is 25. Documentation: A national driving licence is valid for up to 3 months if accompanied by an officially sanctioned translation into Arabic. An International Driving Permit (with translation) is recommended, but not equired by law. Women are not allowed to drive. There are also restrictions on women travelling by car with men who are not related by blood or marriage. The principal international routes from Jordan are Amman to Dammam, Medina and Jeddah. There are also roads to Yemen (from Jeddah), Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. A causeway links Al Khobar with Bahrain. There are regular international buses between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. Back to Top

Car Hire Saudi Arabia

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Saudi Arabia.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Saudi Arabia