Dubai to Riyadh by road: private car with driver

How long is the drive from Dubai to Riyadh?

Downtown Dubai to central Riyadh is about 1,055 km by road and 10 h 31 min without traffic, on OSRM figures. Border time, fuel stops and Riyadh’s own traffic come on top. Treat it as a long day with two drivers, or two days with a night on the way.

Leg	Road distance	Without traffic
Downtown Dubai to Al Ghuwaifat, the UAE border	about 454 km	about 4 h
Al Batha, the Saudi border, to Al Hofuf	about 278 km	about 3 h 5 min
Al Batha to central Riyadh	about 599 km	about 6 h 36 min
Dubai Marina to central Riyadh	about 1,037 km	about 10 h 18 min
Abu Dhabi city to central Riyadh	about 954 km	about 9 h 36 min
Downtown Dubai to King Khalid International Airport	about 1,055 km	about 10 h 41 min

Which route and border crossing do you use?

The UAE half of the trip is a single road, the E11. It leaves Dubai as Sheikh Zayed Road, passes Abu Dhabi, then runs west through Al Dhafra as Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed International Road.

You exit the UAE at Al Ghuwaifat, which ICP describes as a border port in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Saudi post next to it is Al Batha, where ZATCA handles customs. See Ghuwaifat and Al Batha border crossing.

We do not publish crossing hours for Al Ghuwaifat or Al Batha. We check them, and any rule on which passports may cross, against your travel date while preparing the quote.

On the Saudi side, the fastest road on OSRM runs north-west on Road 95 to Salwa, then along the Salwa to Al Hofuf road into Al Ahsa. From there it heads west to the Dammam to Riyadh expressway (Highway 40), which covers the last 95 km or so into the city.

The same crossing at Al Batha serves our Dubai to Dammam and Al Khobar route on the Gulf coast. Every Saudi route we list, with its border notes, is on the UAE to Saudi Arabia transfers page.

Fuel, prayer and rest stops between Ghuwaifat and Riyadh

Past Abu Dhabi, the E11 runs through long empty stretches. Ruwais, about 333 km from Downtown Dubai, and Sila, close to the border, are the last UAE towns on the road.

In Saudi Arabia you pass Salwa, then Al Hofuf, the main city of Al Ahsa, about 278 km after Al Batha. Your chauffeur plans fuel and rest stops around these towns and stops for prayer whenever you ask.

One driver or two on a 10-hour trip

About 10 h 30 min of driving, before any border wait, is too long for one chauffeur in one stretch. If we confirm your trip, the quote includes one of two plans:

• Two drivers who take turns, so you reach Riyadh the same day.
• One driver and an overnight stop, for example in Al Hofuf, with the last 320 km or so the next morning.

Which Saudi visa do you need to enter by road?

Each passenger needs the right to enter Saudi Arabia before the car reaches Al Batha. Saudi visas are issued on the KSA Visa platform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Saudi visa for UAE residents walks through it.

Its eligibility check starts with your nationality. It then asks about three things: a GCC residence of at least three months, a used US, UK or Schengen visa, and US, UK or EU permanent residency.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arrival in Saudi Arabia. Medical insurance is issued as one step of the tourism visa application.

For the drive home, GCC citizens enter the UAE without a visa. Some other nationalities get a UAE visa on arrival and the rest need one before travel, per the UAE government portal. Residents should check their UAE residence visa is valid on the day they drive back.

What the car needs: Saudi insurance and ownership papers

The car’s papers are checked as closely as yours. Before we quote, we confirm each item below for the car that will do your trip:

1. Motor insurance valid in Saudi Arabia for a UAE-registered vehicle.
2. The vehicle registration card.
3. A no-objection letter from the owner, where the car belongs to a partner.
4. Permission to carry paying passengers into Saudi Arabia.

If one of these cannot be confirmed for your dates, our reply says so instead of quoting.

Where we drop off in Riyadh

King Khalid International Airport (KKIA), run by Riyadh Airports Company, sits north of the city. It is about 1,055 km from Downtown Dubai and 10 h 41 min without traffic.

In the city, the drop-off can be any address, such as an office in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) or a hotel on King Fahd Road. The last stretch uses Highway 40 and the Northern Ring Road, so a rush-hour arrival takes longer.

Teams that travel between the UAE and Riyadh on a schedule can book through our corporate accounts. Cross-border chauffeur cost explains the price factors.

When flights are suspended: the road as a backup

Flying is the usual way between Dubai and Riyadh, and it is faster whenever flights operate. The road earns its place when flights are cancelled or suspended, or when a group carries more equipment than an airline will take.

Check your airline’s own notices before you choose the road. Leaving Dubai at 06:00 with two drivers should put you in Riyadh in the evening, border permitting.

Driving yourself or a chauffeur

On a self-drive trip, one person handles 10 h 30 min at the wheel, the car’s papers at Al Batha and an evening arrival in Riyadh traffic. With a chauffeur, the papers are checked before you leave and the driving is shared or split over two days.

You can work, sleep or take calls in the back of a GMC Yukon or Cadillac Escalade. Both are in our luxury SUV range and seat 6 with room for 3 large suitcases.

What sets the price of a Riyadh transfer

• One way or return. A one-way drop leaves the car about 1,055 km from Dubai, and the empty drive home is part of the cost.
• A second driver or an overnight stop, including the chauffeur’s hotel night.
• Waiting days in Riyadh, if the car stays for your return.
• Any border fees at Al Ghuwaifat and Al Batha, plus Saudi motor insurance for the car.
• The vehicle class and the number of passengers and bags.

Dubai to Riyadh is on request, confirmed per trip, and quoted on WhatsApp. Searches for a private car on this route are few, so each request is checked by hand: border, papers, drivers and timing. For how it compares with road trips to Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, read our guide to road travel from Dubai, or see every route under cross-border transfers.