Uber or Taxi in Riyadh & Jeddah
 

Hi Guys

How do you travel in Riyadh normally - Uber or Taxi? Any preference, are Taxis a rip off?

Might stay at the airport Marriott but maybe stay more downtown to meet a friend (although I will arrive at 4pm and will RUH next day 10am).

D

Unless you speak Arabic, or (maybe better) Urdu, you are looking at potential communication difficulties with taxi drivers. Goodwill in both directions can avoid problems. But as you are already talking rip offs, it's maybe best to steer clear of taxis and rely on ride-share aps which give more clarity in terms of fares and payment options, and (often but not always), attract drivers with language skills you might appreciate.

Note the Marriott is an airport hotel in name only. It's some distance away from RUH and offers paid pick-up and drop services rather than an airport shuttle.

Uber works OK in Riyadh, and I would recommend that. You can often wait a long time, though that's due largely to the horrible traffic in the city. Drivers often cancel rides en route to you. The cars are often dumpy, if you care about that, though so are taxis.

If you take a taxi, be prepared for difficult fare negotiations and also have your phone ready with the address/route unless you're going to a major landmark.

EDIT: Mistake, I was in Jeddah, not Riyadh.

I have never, never, been ripped off by taxis as I was in Riyadh Jeddah. I don't know if Riyadh is the same, but I wouldn't travel in Saudi Arabia again without using a taxi app.

The worst bit is that one taxi driver, I believe deliberately, took me to the wrong part of the airport. And, I had to get another taxi to international.

And, every price negotiation was a massive ripoff. I paid hundreds of pounds for a trip to the waterfront and back.

Hundreds of pounds? Please forgive me for asking, but are you thinking of Cairo? That's probably the worst city for taxis I have experienced. There's no waterfront in Riyadh.

Ooops! You're right. I was in Jeddah.

I've never been to Cairo. If I go, I'll be very careful about the taxis.

Hundreds of pounds from Jeddah airport to the corniche ????? The (pst! pst!) taxi touts in the arrivals area will probably ask SAR100 or so to take you to Hamra: say £25. Uber's likely a bit less. Taxi fees will depend on your negotiating skills across a language barrier.

There'd be no particular advantage for the driver in taking you to the wrong terminal. Both handle international flights. He should, of course, have asked you which terminal you needed.

50 pounds to the Corniche from the airport. 50 pounds to the wrong terminal, but not paid by me - paid as a gift by an expat who helped me. The same person spoke to the driver (in Arabic) and the driver then took me to the wrong terminal. I believe that the expat said to go to the international terminal as I had said that was where I was going. The expat expressed surprise that the driver wouldn't negotiate on price. Then, another 50 pounds to get to the right terminal. The last taxi driver spoke very good English, but even when I asked around nobody was offering a lower price.

Yes, I was absolutely ripped off. Generally my experience of Saudi Arabia was very poor and I have no intention to ever return. There are plenty of other countries.

It looks as though you were well and truly rinsed, and your expat saviour doesn't seem to have fared much better. There's still quite a chasm between the rhetoric and marketing effort of the ministries involved in (non-religious) tourism and the experience on the ground. A work in progress! In the meantime, yes there are far less awkward countries to visit in the region.


As this thread wil be viewed by others travelling to Jeddah, it's maybe a good idea to attempt to flesh out the airport terminal business. There are two that concern most tourists/visitors. A third handles Haj flights.

• Terminal 1 is the new, flagship facility hosting Saudi carriers (international and domestic), other Gulf carriers and some other "mainstream" international airlines;
• North Terminal is the old terminal, and it hosts many other international airlines as well as low-cost carriers such as Wizz and Pegasus.

It's important to be aware which terminal you'll be using, particularly when it comes to your departure. Requesting the international terminal, you could end up at either.

Since T1 opened I haven't had to use the North Terminal: something i'm grateful for. But there's (supposed to be) a shuttle service between the two, aimed principally at passengers needing to connect between flights, or between the North terminal and the rail station at T1.

It looks like I'll be arriving at RUH T1, should I straight ask the JW Marriott to organize me a hotel transfer (250 for one way)?

That is exactly how I felt and still feel.

My plan was to have lots of time and to walk back to the airport. But, the roads in Jeddah utterly flummoxed me, and the heat was terrible.

Thanks for the information on the airports. It may well benefit someone more motivated to visit Saudi Arabia than me.

If I had to go to Saudi Arabia again, anywhere in the country, then I would make very sure that I have studied all transport options before going, and to make absolutely sure that I'm not using regular taxis or anything where I have to ask prices.

The airport Marriott's transfer shouldn't be more than SAR100, so I guess you've resolved to overnight at the at the glitzier city hotel. The hotel transfer would be more convenient and far less hassle than organising an Uber, but the price quoted is easily double what I'd expect to pay for a ride-share into the city.

Careem is the best option but uber works fine too (careem is owned by uber but the CS is better). If you plan a lot of trips, you can think about paying the monthly fee for careem plus. Worth it.

A brave plan, though (as you discovered) probably ill-conceived. Outside the Corniche and Balad, trips to local stores and the mosque, Jeddites really don't do walking. The climate, a lack of footpaths and some difficulty in crossing roads all conspire to make travelling any distance on foot an experience best avoided.

Yes, very ill-conceived. And, for all of the reasons that you stated. Every single one.