Why go
- Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia.
- 1 curated must-see attraction on record, including Qasr al-Masmak Fort/Palace.
- Served by King Khalid International Airport (RUH).
History
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Must-see attractions
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 38 airlines, 80 direct destinations
- Saudi Arabian Airlines SV (A320, Embraer 170, A321, 777-200, 777, A330-300…) · 67 routes: Abha, Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Al-ahsa, Al-Jawf, Al-Ula, Alexandria, Amman, Arar, Bahrain, Bangalore, Beirut, Bisha, Cairo, Calicut, Casablanca, Colombo, Dammam, Delhi, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, DWD, El-baha, Frankfurt, Gassim, Geneva, Gizan, Guangzhou, Guriat, Hafr Al-batin, Hail, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jeddah, Karachi, Khartoum, Kochi … +27 more
- Nas Air XY (A320, A330-200, A340-600, 777-300ER) · 18 routes: Abha, Abu Dhabi*, Alexandria, Amman, Asyut, Dammam, Dubai, Gizan, Hatay, Istanbul, Jeddah, Khartoum, Kuwait, Luxor, Madinah, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Taif
- Pakistan International Airlines PK (310, 777) · 5 routes: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot
- Air India Limited AI (777-300ER, 777-200LR) · 4 routes: Calicut, Delhi, Mumbai, Trivandrum
- Egyptair MS (A320, 330, A330-300, 737-800, Embraer 170) · 3 routes: Alexandria, Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh
- Shaheen Air International NL (A330-300, A320) · 3 routes: Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar
- Alitalia AZ (A320) · 2 routes: Milano*, Rome*
- Korean Air KE (A330-200) · 2 routes: Jeddah, Seoul
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A330-300) · 2 routes: Frankfurt, Munich
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A330-300) · 2 routes: Jeddah, Singapore
- Yemenia IY (310, A320) · 2 routes: Sanaa, Taiz
- Air Arabia G9 (A320) · 1 route: Sharjah
- Air Arabia Egypt E5 (A320) · 1 route: Alexandria
- Air Europa UX (A320) · 1 route: Jeddah
- Air France AF (A330-200) · 1 route: Paris
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG (777-200) · 1 route: Dhaka
- British Airways BA (747-400, 777) · 1 route: London
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Emirates EK (777-200, 777-300, 777-300ER) · 1 route: Dubai
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (737-800) · 1 route: Addis Ababa
- Etihad Airways EY (A320, A330-200, A330-300, 777-300ER) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi
- Fly Dubai FZ (737-800) · 1 route: Dubai
- Gulf Air Bahrain GF (A320, A321) · 1 route: Bahrain
- Jazeera Airways J9 (A320) · 1 route: Kuwait
- Jet Airways 9W (737-900, 737-800) · 1 route: Mumbai
- Kuwait Airways KU (310, A320, AB6) · 1 route: Kuwait
- L MJ (A340-300) · 1 route: Colombo*
- Malaysia Airlines MH (A330-200, 777, 787) · 1 route: Doha*
- Middle East Airlines ME (A320, A321, A330-200) · 1 route: Beirut
- Oman Air WY (737-800, Embraer 175, 737-700) · 1 route: Muscat
- Philippine Airlines PR (330) · 1 route: Manila
- Qantas QF (777-200, 777-300) · 1 route: Dubai*
- Qatar Airways QR (A320, A321, A330-300, 787-8) · 1 route: Doha
- Royal Air Maroc AT (737-800) · 1 route: Cairo
- Royal Jordanian RJ (A320, 340, Embraer 175, Embraer 195) · 1 route: Amman
- SriLankan Airlines UL (A330-200, A340-300) · 1 route: Colombo
- Sudan Airways SD (AB6) · 1 route: Khartoum
- Turkish Airlines TK (A321, 330, A330-200) · 1 route: Istanbul
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is King Khalid International Airport (RUH); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: RUH has direct flights to 80 destinations on 38 airlines (incl. Jeddah, Alexandria, Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi…).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.