Riyadh to Dubai/Abu Dhabi by SAPTCO bus - My experience

Hello Savank,

Thank you for this detailed post about your experience 

Surely members will be able to relate to that and that will help those who will be traveling 

Cheers,
Bhavna

Hello TS Savank, Thanks for sharing your experience to UAE. Aside from Iqama, did they require your original passport upon entering in the border? Any website for applying online visa in UAE?

Dear friend
                     I am planning to go dubai for eid from riyadh through saptco bus. your advice is truly appreciative. I have a doubt in obtaining visit visa for uae. Is it possible to get visa at border or where should I apply. I have Engineer Iqama.

I heard recently they changed their on arrival visa policies. You have to apply online before you go there. Please check with their online portal or contact embassy. I will be going there next month, so my office admin informed me about this change done by UAE.

Excellent post! Planning to go to dubai also by bus. Did you buy your tickets in advance? how and where? Thank you.

Book your ticket from saptco website..

Hi guys, first and foremost going by bus from riyadh to Abu dhabi through saptco, what is the name of the UAE border,
is it  Al ghuwaifat border? kindly confirm because i need it for my online visa application. and lastly aside from having your visa with you, you are also required to bring your original iqama?
thanks

as per saptco schedule. the trip going to uae is not everyday. please confirm

Rame.. Got them thanks.

Call them for schedules and buy them online.

Got them. Thank you.

Did this trip last hajj. Savank accounts pretty accurate. The sticker in the station is where you actually get listed in the bus manifest. Very important as you could be ejected from the bus if your not on the list.

Border stop Saudi side takes long and there wasn't much people but still took us 3 hrs both ways. Going back you go to al belad sham office near where the bus stopped in Dubai. Bus stops near the Border, Al Batha, for food and CR break.

Going back to Riyadh conductor collects 35AED for UAE exit fee.

Thanks Savanak for a very helpful post.

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply as I did not login to EB recently. You can obtain online Visa to UAE from the following site (If you or your spouse has Saudi Iqama). Probably not given for all occupations, those occupations not falling might have to go on the normal route of obtaining UAE Visa.

https://www.gdrfa.ae/GCCIND/createVisa. … pany=false

Reservation of SAPTCO tickets can also be done online.

https://www.saptco.com.sa/Home.aspx

Well you can also travel to some of the other GCC countries in the SAPTCO bus. Including Jordan which I really like to visit shortly. Currently I have not no idea about obtaining Visa for the other GCC countries.

Regards,

Dear Friends

Savank information are right.
I would like add few more details.
- Online VISA only accepted at border and bus (if you go with family, apply first for you and attach your approved VISA image(convert to 100kb size) while apply for family members)
- Take color prints of UAE VISA (if possible), Iqama, passport
- At Abudhabi border (al ghuwaifat), entry stamp will be punched in your VISA's (keep it safe while return/exit) you have to show this VISA and they will collect it.
- keep in mind that UAE exit fee is 35AED & will not be accepted by cash. So there is a shop keeper having e-dirham smart card. he will charge extra 5AED per card.

I hope this information will help everyone.

Thanks

Dear Sravan,
If I travel to Dubai by SATCO from Dammam for applying e-visa what is the border selection point?

Good day!!
I really appreciate this blog site for it helped me a lot with my travel plan to UAE last January 2016. Kudos to the contributors.
Regarding the pick up station of SAPTCO bus in Dubai, fortunately the hotel (AL FAREJ HOTEL)  i was billeted was so near the pick up station. it was stone throw away so i found it easy to locate. It is few meters from OMAR BIN AL KHATTAR ROUND ABOUT.

docbong wrote:

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6035/0P3aul.jpg

THE SAPTCO TERMINAL IN DUBAI

nice going docbong.

Appreciate if you could post a trip report or details for others to know how you did it.

I'm planning to go Dubai by SAPTCO bus. considering the long hours of journey, can you share your exp? sitting is  push  back chair or any sleeper coach is also available?

Thank you for the information.
I would like to ask how much the cost of your fare from Riyadh to Abu dhabi.

Hi me and husband going to Dubai by next week by saptco bus from there we will be going to India . I want to know is it how far from Dubai to shraja.? Because  our flight is from shraja to India.can anyone tell which place is better for us to stay if we are going to uae by bus and we will be taking flight from shraja to India.

Sharjah is very near from Dubai. Its around 20-25 mins drive depends upon traffic. Taxi might take 70-80 AED from you it includes Toll taxi. The best place to live is near any metro station. The reason is, you will have to make metro train car and can travel anywhere with costing 3-5 AED each person. Otherwise you have to take taxi all the time and its expensive. I would recommend to take hotel near Diera Metro station since there is a big mall called Diera City Center. You can walk toward that and buy something. There are also cheap shops near Diera City center also. Hope it will help you. Please let me know in case you need any other information.

hii..thankyou for your feedback, i want to travel to uae on a three month visit visa as i getting my Saudi Arabia visa cancel. just want to know can i travel through Saudi Arabia directly to UAE , or i need to go to india first? and can i travell through saptico?

Hi Savank,

First of all a big thumbs up for your information👍. I am planning to go to Abu Dhabi by SAPTCO after 2 weeks and applying for UAE visa online. But, while filling journey details there is showing only one  city in the options i.e. Dubai (No other cities such as Abu Dhabi is available in the options).

Do I need to goto Dubai first and then head back to Abu Dhabi? Please suggest. Also, please let me know which will be the nearest Port of Arrival from Abu Dhabi? The available options in website are: Dubai Airport, Rachid Port, Jabel Ali Port, Shandaghra Port , Hamirya Port, Dry Docks, Hata police and Al Wigaga (To Oman).

Thanks in advance. Waiting for your reply.

Regards,

Chetan Patle

Hi Doc just want to ask how you were able to manage the booking for the SAPTCO Bus. Is it thru online or you just paid it through their ticketing office?

I took the SAPTCO bus from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi. The bus has ample leg room that you can get a full stretch. Apart from that, the bus in not comfortable for an international journey. Many countries operate Volvo buses with recliner seats for overnight journey. SAPTCO could do the same. The bus station needs a good revamp. Border crossing was very smooth on both Saudi and UAE side. The quoted journey time of 12Hrs from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi is never kept as per finding from regular travelers. The journey took 15 hours while I travelled. Most of the time is wasted by drivers taking longer breaks. There are two drivers in the bus who takes turns in driving while the other one rests. The price charged is quite reasonable at 380 return or 250 one way. There are no quality restaurants once the journey begins. So, have food and drinks stocked prior to journey. The bus stops at Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi which is far away from the City. So taxi to city will be around another 60-8- Dhirams. It was an experience I wanted to go through. I will not do it again unless the condition of the bus and the time keeping improves.