A step-by-step guide to travel from Saudi to Dubai by Road

The Saudi Arabia-United Arab Emirates border is 457 km in length and runs from the Persian Gulf coast in the west to the tripoint with Oman in the east.[1. Saudi Arabia - The World Factbook (cia.gov)] Citizens, residents and Visitors in Saudi Arabia can enter UAE from Saudi Arabia via this land border which is at a place called Al Batha. In this guide, we have detailed the step by step procedure to travel from Saudi to Dubai by road.

📄 Pre-requisites: Documents Checklist

Passport with Minimum six months validity
UAE Visa (You can request us for a callback for assistance) — Saudi Iqama holders are not eligible for UAE visa on arrival, so the eVisa must be approved before you reach the border. The GCC-resident eVisa depends on the profession on your Iqama (labourer professions are not eligible).
Copy of Exit re entry visa
Original Iqama
Vehicle Isthimarah. If the car is not registered in your name (rented, company or a friend’s car), the owner must issue an external driving authorization (outside the Kingdom) to you — for private cars this is done on Absher (Vehicles → Manage Vehicles → Authorization); rental companies arrange it for their cars.
Hotel Booking is Not Mandatory as it won’t be asked at the border.

💡 Info: UAE sim is not available at the border. Drive into UAE to buy one.

💡 Info: If you’re applying for UAE visa online and Al Ghuwaifat / Al Batha is not listed as a port of arrival, ask your visa provider which port to select.

💵 Cost of Travel from Saudi to Dubai by road

The cost of travel varies from person to person depending upon the city which you’re travelling from and the number of people travelling along with you. There’s Official Saptco Bus from Riyadh, Dammam, Makkah and Madinah that will take you to Dubai. [2. Saptco Bus from Saudi to Dubai]. This is a good option if you’re travelling alone. However, if you’re travelling in a group, the best is to travel in a personal car. Below is a tentative cost of travel

Exit Re-entry visa cost/Person	SAR 200
UAE Visit Visa with Insurance/Person (approx.)	SAR 350
Fuel from Khobar to Dubai or SAPTCO Bus (One Way)	SAR 260
Compulsory UAE Third-Party Car Insurance (approx.)	SAR 210
The total cost of travel from Saudi to Dubai by road	SAR 1020

Cost of travel from Saudi to Dubai by road

📍 Saudi to Dubai Route Details, Distance and Duration

Depending upon where you are located in Saudi, it takes anywhere about 8 - 22 Hours to travel from Saudi to Dubai.

From/to	Distance (km)	Time (Hours)
Khobar to Dubai	884	8
Riyadh to Dubai	1004	9.5
Madinah to Dubai	1837	16
Makkah to Dubai	1870	17
Jeddah to Dubai	1953	18
Yanbu to Dubai	2075	18
Jizan to Dubai	2158	21
Tabuk to Dubai	2288	21

Saudi to Dubai Distance and Duration

There are very few petrol stations on the route to the Saudi-UAE border. Therefore make sure to fill your fuel tank and go-to washrooms wherever you find to avoid any in-convenience.
There are almost no street lights on the route till the border. Best is to drive in the morning.

A Saudi driving license is generally accepted for visitors driving in the UAE, and many rental companies accept it — confirm with the rental company before you book.

1️⃣ At the Saudi Side of the Border - Al Batha

A - Checkpoint Location

Reach the following location

Al Batha Passport Control, Saudi Arabia

B - Checkpoint 1 - Saudi Customs

Hand over Passports and Vehicle Istimara to the officer and obtain a car slip in return with your vehicle details and number of passengers mentioned in it. Carefully preserve this Slip until you enter UAE.

C - Checkpoint 2 - Saudi Jawazaat (Passports)

Handover the slip you obtained at the first checkpoint with all the passports for verification. The officer will stamp the passports and return them.

D- Checkpoint 3 - Saudi Security Inspection

At this checkpoint, there’s just a Quick Inspection of the Car Slip and all the passports. Drive towards UAE border once you have cleared this checkpoint.

2️⃣ At the UAE Side of the border - Al Ghuwaifat

A - Checkpoint Location

Al Ghuweifat - Al Ghuwaifat - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates

B- CHeckpoint 1 - UAE Passports Control

At the first checkpoint, Inform that you’re on a new UAE Visit visa and the officer will ask you to go to the following location.

Carry all your documents and enter the building as shown above
All Adults above 6 years old are subjected to Eye Scan.
Obtain Stamp on the E-Visa paper for both Adults (After Eye Scanning) and Kids
Handover the passports, Stamped E-Visa Paper and Car Slip to obtain UAE Visa Entry Stamp.

C - Checkpoint 2 - UAE Customs

Passports will be checked and a verification paper will be returned to you. Move ahead for manual vehicle inspection. Obtain a Stamp on the Car Slip after inspection.

D - Checkpoint 3 - Insurance

Foreign vehicles entering the UAE at Al Ghuwaifat must have valid UAE insurance (mandatory since 26 June 2023). You can buy compulsory Third-Party Car Insurance at the border or up to 10 days in advance online through the UAE Aber app/website (formerly Shory Aber), which lets you skip the insurance queue. We paid about SAR/AED 210 for 15 days for an SUV; prices vary by vehicle type and duration.

E- Checkpoint 4 - Security Check

Handover Car slip provided by UAE Customs and enter UAE.

Congratulations on your successful entry from Saudi to Dubai by road!

From the UAE side of the border, it takes about 2.5 hours to reach Abudhabi, 3.5 Hours to reach Dubai City, 4 Hours to reach Sharjah and 4.5 Hours to reach Ajman. Congratulations on your successful drive!