Riyadh Airport was built in the late 70s/80's, and at the time was the largest airport in the world.

They are way overdue for an upgrade/replacement. 2 years ago I went to book a flight onsite at the airport for my sister, and they had no facilities at the sales desk for credit cards, cash only....

Yes definitely transit can be confusing, do ask, and ask again, as there is also a tendency by uniformed staff to just point you in a direction even if they did not understand you. Of course there are good and helpful staff, but they are few and far between.

If you are strictly transit and your luggage is going through without your retrieval, you may be ok(not sure about it.). If you have to remove and recheck you will have a problem. I definitely recommend avoiding the possible hassle if you can and not carry any.