Travelling to Bahrain from Riyadh

Last activity 14 August 2022 by XTang

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snjkhanNew member14 August 2022 07:11:56

Need some information about

1. Road conditions, best time to start from Riyadh, which route to take

2.check post and border entry process

3. documents to carry? passports and e-visa copy are enough?

4. does the border agents speak English?

5. speed cameras? speed limit?

XTangBahrain/UAE/Saudi Arabia Expert14 August 2022 07:16:51

11764

All of this has been covered on multiple posts.

1) Only one real route from Riyadh. This is via Dammam Road. Road is ok for the most part but bumpy at others. Sandstorms / rising dust is common. Don't drive slow in the fast lane i.e. stay in fast lane only if you are going 150/160, and even then, some people will overtake you like crazy, going on the shoulder if you don't give way. Watch out for overtaking trucks in the middle lane who will switch at the last moment. Make sure your car is in good condition i.e. tyres and other things (if you breakdown, you will have a long wait as its in the middle of the desert for the most part). Make sure your bumpers and other exterior features are not loose - they will fly off or get disengaged at the high speed with heavy winds. Be ready for paint fading and stone chip marks on the car - especially in the front, if you don't have paint protection film and / or a coating to prevent this

2) Two check posts on way to Dammam. First is at Riyadh exit and second is at Dammam entry. They may or may not stop you. Border entry process is straightforward.........get customs slip, give to Saudi immigration with passport, they will stamp passport and slip, hand over slip as you exit Saudi. Go to Bahrain immigration, clear and then buy 3rd party insurance for car on way out

3) Yes and permission to take car outside Saudi if it is leased from the bank and not fully owned by you

4) Depends. Some do, some don't

5) After Riyadh exit, 140 km/h. Around 170 km from Dammam, there is a stretch of 120 km/h for 20 odd km. Lots of speed cameras........some working, some not.......they are on both side of the road and some are not easy to spot

Source: I have been driving this route for years now, every week. Time from Riyadh to Bahrain residence, the best I have gotten, is 3 hours and 15 mins (with relatively light causeway traffic and over speeding in a Bahrain number car)........as a first timer, plan for 5 hours or so.

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