If you’ve been living in Saudi Arabia for a while, you already know that getting around between cities can be a bit of a logistics puzzle — especially if you don’t have your own car or prefer not to fly for shorter inter-city trips. That’s where Darb Alwatan comes in.
Darb Alwatan is a licensed Saudi bus company operating an extensive intercity bus network across the Kingdom. With comfortable modern buses, affordable fares, and a growing route network, it has become a genuine option for expats and locals alike who want a convenient and budget-friendly way to travel between Saudi cities.
This article covers everything you need to know — from routes and timetables to how to book your ticket and who to call if you need help.
Darb Alwatan Routes & Timetable
Below is a comprehensive summary of key routes based on the official timetable.
Route NN-01 — Dammam ↔ Yanbu
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Bus Station → Yanbu Bus Station | 11:15 | 09:30 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Yanbu Bus Station → Dammam Bus Station | 18:45 | 16:45 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
Route NN-02 — Riyadh ↔ Yanbu
Mon / Wed / Sat (Riyadh to Yanbu) | Sun / Tue / Thu (Yanbu to Riyadh)
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Bus Station → Yanbu Bus Station | 19:00 | 13:20 (+1) | ~18 hrs |
| Yanbu Bus Station → Riyadh Bus Station | 21:00 | 15:30 (+1) | ~18.5 hrs |
Route NN-03 — Dammam ↔ Hail
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Bus Station → Hail Bus Station | 19:30 | 09:15 (+1) | ~13.75 hrs |
| Hail Bus Station → Dammam Bus Station | 13:00 | 03:00 (+1) | ~14 hrs |
Route NN-04 — Makkah ↔ Hafr Al Batin (via Al Jumum)
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makkah Bus Station (Jarwal) → Hafr Al Batin | 09:00 | 05:30 (+1) | ~20.5 hrs |
| Hafr Al Batin → Makkah Bus Station (Jarwal) | 14:00 | 10:40 (+1) | ~20.7 hrs |
| Al Jumum → Makkah Bus Station (Jarwal) | 06:40 | 07:20 | ~00:40 |
Route NN-05 — Madinah ↔ Buraydah
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madinah Bus Station → Buraydah Bus Station | 07:30 | 14:35 | ~7 hrs |
| Buraydah Bus Station → Madinah Bus Station | 09:00 | 16:05 | ~7 hrs |
Route NN-06 — Makkah ↔ Madinah
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makkah (Jarwal) → Madinah | 13:30 | 19:50 | ~6.3 hrs |
| Makkah (Jarwal) → Madinah | 21:00 | 03:20 (+1) | ~6.3 hrs |
| Madinah → Makkah (Jarwal) | 08:00 | 14:55 | ~6.9 hrs |
| Madinah → Makkah (Jarwal) | 17:00 | 23:55 | ~6.9 hrs |
Route NN-07 — Dammam ↔ Makkah
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Bus Station → Makkah (Jarwal) | 15:00 | 12:25 (+1) | ~21.4 hrs |
| Makkah (Jarwal) → Dammam Bus Station | 16:30 | 13:25 (+1) | ~20.9 hrs |
Route NN-09 — Dammam ↔ Jeddah (via SAR Train Station)
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Bus Station → Jeddah Train (SAR) Station | 09:30 | 07:30 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Dammam Bus Station → Jeddah Train (SAR) Station | 17:00 | 15:00 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Dammam Bus Station → Jeddah Train (SAR) Station | 20:00 | 18:00 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Jeddah Train (SAR) Station → Dammam Bus Station | 09:30 | 07:55 (+1) | ~22.4 hrs |
| Jeddah Train (SAR) Station → Dammam Bus Station | 17:00 | 15:25 (+1) | ~22.4 hrs |
| Jeddah Train (SAR) Station → Dammam Bus Station | 22:00 | 20:25 (+1) | ~22.4 hrs |
Route NN-10 — Madinah ↔ Arar (Al Khaleej)
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madinah Bus Station → Arar Bus Station | 20:30 | 12:20 (+1) | ~15.8 hrs |
| Arar Bus Station → Madinah Bus Station | 15:30 | 07:05 (+1) | ~15.6 hrs |
Route NN-12 — Riyadh ↔ Arar / Hafr Al Batin
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Arar (Al Khaleej) | 18:00 | 10:10 (+1) | ~16 hrs |
| Riyadh → Arar (Al Khaleej) | 22:00 | 14:10 (+1) | ~16 hrs |
| Arar → Riyadh | 15:30 | 07:25 (+1) | ~15.9 hrs |
| Arar → Riyadh | 20:30 | 12:40 (+1) | ~16 hrs |
| Riyadh → Hafr Al Batin | 13:30 | 21:20 | ~7.8 hrs |
| Hafr Al Batin → Riyadh | 10:30 | 19:42 | ~9.2 hrs |
Route NN-13 — Riyadh ↔ Arar (Al Khaleej)
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Bus Station → Arar | 10:30 | 02:25 (+1) | ~15.9 hrs |
| Arar → Riyadh Bus Station | 09:00 | 00:35 (+1) | ~15.6 hrs |
Route NN-14 — Riyadh ↔ Buraydah
Mon / Thu / Sat (Riyadh to Buraydah) | Sun / Tue / Fri (Buraydah to Riyadh)
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Buraydah | 11:30 | 21:35 | ~10 hrs |
| Buraydah → Riyadh | 08:00 | 18:45 | ~10.7 hrs |
Route NN-15 — Dammam ↔ Tabuk
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Tabuk | 13:00 | 14:40 (+1) | ~25.7 hrs |
| Tabuk → Dammam | 21:00 | 22:35 (+1) | ~25.6 hrs |
Route NN-16 — Dammam ↔ Tabuk
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Tabuk | 07:00 | 08:30 (+1) | ~25.5 hrs |
| Dammam → Tabuk | 20:30 | 21:20 (+1) | ~24.8 hrs |
| Tabuk → Dammam | 10:00 | 11:40 (+1) | ~25.7 hrs |
| Tabuk → Dammam | 16:00 | 16:55 (+1) | ~24.9 hrs |
Route NN-17 — Dammam ↔ Qurayyat
Sun / Mon / Tue only
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Qurayyat | 10:00 | 07:55 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Dammam | 08:30 | 06:25 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
Route NN-18 — Dammam ↔ Qurayyat
Daily + additional Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat trips
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Qurayyat (Daily) | 15:30 | 13:25 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Dammam → Qurayyat (We-Th-Fr-Sa) | 10:00 | 07:55 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Dammam (We-Th-Fr-Sa) | 08:30 | 06:25 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Dammam (Daily) | 17:00 | 14:55 (+1) | ~22 hrs |
Route NN-19 — Dammam ↔ Khafji
Sun / Thu / Sat only
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Khafji | 09:30 | 14:15 | ~4.75 hrs |
| Khafji → Dammam | 17:00 | 21:50 | ~4.8 hrs |
Route NN-20 — Dammam ↔ Jubail
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam → Jubail | 06:00 | 07:20 | ~1.3 hrs |
| Dammam → Jubail | 07:45 | 09:05 | ~1.3 hrs |
| Dammam → Jubail | 16:00 | 17:20 | ~1.3 hrs |
| Jubail → Dammam | 07:30 | 08:50 | ~1.3 hrs |
| Jubail → Dammam | 17:30 | 18:50 | ~1.3 hrs |
| Jubail → Dammam | 22:10 | 23:30 | ~1.3 hrs |
Route NN-21 — Riyadh ↔ Qurayyat
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Qurayyat | 10:30 | 08:00 (+1) | ~21.5 hrs |
| Riyadh → Qurayyat | 22:30 | 20:00 (+1) | ~21.5 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Riyadh | 08:00 | 05:20 (+1) | ~21.3 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Riyadh | 22:00 | 19:32 (+1) | ~21.5 hrs |
Route NN-22 — Riyadh ↔ Sakaka
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Sakaka | 07:00 | 22:50 | ~15.8 hrs |
| Sakaka → Riyadh | 09:00 | 00:50 (+1) | ~15.8 hrs |
Route NN-23 — Riyadh ↔ Hail
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Hail | 09:00 | 19:15 | ~10.25 hrs |
| Riyadh → Hail | 12:30 | 22:45 | ~10.25 hrs |
| Hail → Riyadh | 17:00 | 03:40 (+1) | ~10.7 hrs |
| Hail → Riyadh | 21:30 | 08:10 (+1) | ~10.7 hrs |
Route NN-24 — Riyadh ↔ Tabuk
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Tabuk | 14:30 | 10:00 (+1) | ~19.5 hrs |
| Riyadh → Tabuk | 20:30 | 16:00 (+1) | ~19.5 hrs |
| Tabuk → Riyadh | 14:00 | 09:33 (+1) | ~19.5 hrs |
| Tabuk → Riyadh | 22:00 | 17:45 (+1) | ~19.75 hrs |
Route NN-25 — Al Ahsa / Jubail / Al Khobar ↔ Khafji
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Ahsa → Khafji | 14:00 | 22:40 | ~8.7 hrs |
| Khafji → Al Ahsa | 09:00 | 17:30 | ~8.5 hrs |
| Jubail → Al Ahsa | 09:30 | 13:30 | ~4 hrs |
| Al Ahsa → Jubail | 18:00 | 22:00 | ~4 hrs |
| Al Khobar → Jubail | 22:50 | 00:35 (+1) | ~1.75 hrs |
| Jubail → Al Khobar | 08:30 | 10:20 | ~1.8 hrs |
Route NN-26 — Jubail ↔ Dammam Airport
Fridays only — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jubail → Dammam Airport | 09:00 | 10:35 | ~1.6 hrs |
| Jubail → Dammam Airport | 13:00 | 14:35 | ~1.6 hrs |
| Jubail → Dammam Airport | 17:00 | 18:35 | ~1.6 hrs |
| Dammam Airport → Jubail | 07:00 | 08:40 | ~1.7 hrs |
| Dammam Airport → Jubail | 11:00 | 12:40 | ~1.7 hrs |
| Dammam Airport → Jubail | 15:00 | 16:40 | ~1.7 hrs |
Route NN-28 — Riyadh ↔ Qurayyat
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Qurayyat | 16:00 | 15:15 (+1) | ~23.25 hrs |
| Riyadh → Qurayyat | 19:30 | 18:45 (+1) | ~23.25 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Riyadh | 10:00 | 09:11 (+1) | ~23.2 hrs |
| Qurayyat → Riyadh | 14:00 | 13:25 (+1) | ~23.4 hrs |
Route NN-29 — Riyadh ↔ Khafji
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh → Khafji | 17:00 | 02:00 (+1) | ~9 hrs |
| Khafji → Riyadh | 08:00 | 17:15 | ~9.25 hrs |
Route NN-32 — Riyadh ↔ Al Khobar
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Bus Station → Al Khobar | 16:30 | 22:40 | ~6.2 hrs |
| Al Khobar → Riyadh Bus Station | 10:40 | 16:50 | ~6.2 hrs |
Route NN-35 — Dammam ↔ Madinah
Daily service
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Bus Station → Madinah Bus Station | 14:00 | 08:40 (+1) | ~18.7 hrs |
| Madinah Bus Station → Dammam Bus Station | 16:30 | 10:50 (+1) | ~18.3 hrs |
Route NN-44 — Dammam Airport ↔ Khafji Border
Daily service — multiple departures
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dammam Airport → Khafji Border | 10:00 | 13:15 | ~3.25 hrs |
| Dammam Airport → Khafji Border | 14:00 | 17:15 | ~3.25 hrs |
| Dammam Airport → Khafji Border | 20:00 | 23:15 | ~3.25 hrs |
| Khafji Border → Dammam Airport | 00:30 | 03:45 | ~3.25 hrs |
| Khafji Border → Dammam Airport | 14:30 | 17:45 | ~3.25 hrs |
| Khafji Border → Dammam Airport | 18:30 | 21:45 | ~3.25 hrs |
How to Book a Darb Alwatan Ticket
Booking with Darb Alwatan is straightforward. You have four main options:
1. Official Website
Visit darbalwatan.com and use the online booking system. You’ll need to:
- Select one-way or round trip
- Enter your origin, destination, and travel date
- Choose your number of passengers
- Log in or create an account
- Enter traveller details (name, nationality, ID/Iqama number, date of birth, mobile number, email)
- Select your preferred seat
- Add extra luggage if needed
- Confirm and pay
2. Mobile App
Download the Darb Alwatan app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to book on the go. You can also manage your existing bookings through the app.
3. Bus Stations
Walk in and purchase your ticket directly at any of the following Darb Alwatan bus stations:
| # | Station | Map Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dammam | View on Map |
| 2 | Riyadh | View on Map |
| 3 | Buraydah | View on Map |
| 4 | Al Jubail | View on Map |
| 5 | Jeddah | View on Map |
| 6 | Hail | View on Map |
| 7 | Tabuk | View on Map |
| 8 | Taif | View on Map |
| 9 | Al-Ahsa | View on Map |
4. Sales Agent Offices
If your departure city is not one of the main stations above (e.g., Hafr Al Batin, Khafji, Arar, Sakaka, Yanbu, Madinah, Tabarjal, Turaif, or Dumat Al Jandal), you can purchase tickets through authorised local sales agents. Details are listed on the official website under the “How to Book” section.
Ticket Types and Refund Policy
Darb Alwatan offers Flexible Tickets that allow changes and refunds under certain conditions:
Ticket Changes:
- Changes must be requested at least 2 hours before departure
- A fee of 10% of the ticket price applies, plus any price difference for the new trip
- Subject to availability
Ticket Refunds:
- Refund requests must be submitted at least 2 hours before departure (online, at a station, or through an agent)
- A cancellation fee of 50% of the ticket price is charged for cash refunds
- If you choose a credit voucher for a future trip instead of a cash refund, the cancellation fee is reduced to 10%
Luggage Allowance
By default, each passenger is entitled to:
- 1 carry-on bag — up to 7 kg (max dimensions: 42 x 30 x 18 cm)
- Standard check-in luggage — up to 75 kg total
If you need to bring more, additional luggage can be added during the booking process for an extra charge.
Contact Darb Alwatan
Free Phone number: +966 8003040155
Email: [email protected]
What to Expect on Board
Darb Alwatan buses are designed with passenger comfort in mind. Here’s what you can generally expect:
- Air conditioning throughout the journey
- Onboard toilet facility — especially useful on long overnight routes
- Extra legroom compared to standard buses
- Modern, well-maintained vehicles
For long routes like Dammam to Tabuk (over 24 hours) or Dammam to Jeddah (~22 hours), the onboard amenities make a significant difference compared to budget alternatives.