The overview below outlines the major air and maritime entry points most relevant to international visitors.
Primary International Air Gateways
These major airports handle the bulk of global arrivals and are fully equipped to process travellers holding a tourist eVisa or VoA.
King Khalid International Airport (RUH), Riyadh
- Strategic Role: Primary gateway to the capital and the country’s main business and government hub.
- Identifiers: IATA: RUH | ICAO: OERK
- Infrastructure: Multiple operational terminals with significant long-term expansion, including development of a major new airport complex.
- Visa Processing: Fully enabled for tourist eVisa and VoA, with automated self-service kiosks to speed up entry.
King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), Jeddah
- Strategic Role: The busiest airport in Saudi Arabia, serving as the main arrival point for pilgrims and the key hub for Red Sea “fly-cruise” movements.
- Identifiers: IATA: JED | ICAO: OEJN
- Infrastructure: Dedicated Hajj/Umrah terminal and a modern terminal for international tourists.
- Visa Processing: Fully operational for tourist eVisa/VoA and supports air-to-sea transfers for cruise homeport operations nearby.
King Fahd International Airport (DMM), Dammam
- Strategic Role: Gateway to the Eastern Province and aviation hub for Arabian Gulf cruise itineraries.
- Identifiers: IATA: DMM | ICAO: OEDF
- Infrastructure: One of the world’s largest airports by land area, with extensive international connectivity.
- Visa Processing: Designated for tourist eVisa and VoA, including visitors joining cruise ships from the regional port.
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED), Medina
- Strategic Role: Main entry point to Medina, supporting both religious travel and broader leisure tourism.
- Identifiers: IATA: MED | ICAO: OEMA
- Infrastructure: Modern international terminal handling year-round global arrivals.
- Visa Processing: Fully authorised for tourist eVisa and VoA, facilitating “Umrah-plus-tourism” itineraries.
Emerging International and Tourism-Specific Airports
These facilities are being developed or upgraded to provide direct, seamless access to key tourism destinations.
AlUla International Airport (ULH)
- Role: Boutique gateway to AlUla, tailored to premium and cultural tourism, with a private executive terminal and rapid processing.
- Status: Fully international; receives direct flights from cities such as Doha and Dubai.
- Visa Processing: Accepts tourist eVisa and VoA in line with national entry policy.
Red Sea International Airport (RSI)
- Role: Exclusive access point for The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations, featuring biometric “touchless travel” systems and smart-luggage automation.
- Status: Operational for domestic and international services, including routes from Dubai and Milan.
- Visa Processing: Fully authorised to process tourist eVisa and VoA passengers as an international airport.
Taif International Airport (TIF)
- Role: Secondary gateway for Mecca pilgrims and a key summer-resort access point, helping relieve pressure on Jeddah.
- Status: A new, expanded international airport is under construction 21 km away, targeting 2.5 million passengers annually by 2030 under a PPP model.
- Visa Processing: Equipped to process tourist eVisa and VoA arrivals.
NEOM Bay Airport (NUM)
- Role: Primary commercial entry point to NEOM, utilising advanced biometric e-gates and 5G-enabled “contactless” processing.
- Status: Operational with international connections, including London and Dubai.
- Visa Processing: Accepts both tourist eVisa and VoA.
Abha International Airport (AHB)
- Role: Central aviation hub for Aseer’s mountain tourism and the region’s cultural and nature-based destinations.
- Status: Undergoing major expansion to raise capacity to 13 million passengers, with a new heritage-inspired terminal opening in phases by 2028.
- Visa Processing: Accepts tourist eVisa and VoA.
Maritime Ports of Entry
Saudi Arabia has several authorised seaports where cruise passengers can complete immigration checks using either a tourist eVisa or a maritime transit visa. The three ports below form the core of the national cruise strategy.
Jeddah Islamic Port (Red Sea Homeport)
- Role: Primary homeport for Red Sea itineraries, handling embarkation/disembarkation for cruises linking Egypt, Jordan, and regional destinations.
- Processing: A fully designated immigration entry point listed in the maritime visa system and equipped for large passenger volumes.
- Visa: Accepts tourist eVisa, VoA (where eligible), and nautical transit visas.
King Abdulaziz Port (Dammam Arabian Gulf Gateway)
- Role: Homeport and turnaround facility for Gulf cruise itineraries connecting Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.
- Processing: Recognised seaport of entry for tourist eVisa holders. Strict documentation compliance is essential; past port-call cancellations were linked to passengers lacking correct visas.
- Visa: Accepts tourist eVisa and cruise transit visas.
Yanbu Commercial Port (Red Sea Transit Hub)
- Role: Key transit port enabling coastal stopovers and access to heritage sites inland, including excursions toward AlUla.
- Processing: A designated immigration entry point for cruise itineraries.
- Visa: Accepts tourist eVisa and transit visas; passengers leaving the coast for extended inland travel must ensure their visa type and validity allow it.