King Abdulaziz International Airport (OEJN/JED)
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The JED crew card
| Fastest into town | Haramain High Speed Railway from the station inside the main terminal building: 16 minutes to Al Sulaimaniyah station in Jeddah, base economy fare SAR 22 and base business fare SAR 40, with VAT and fees not included |
|---|---|
| Night option | The rail station at the airport is open daily 06:30 to 00:30, but the Al Sulaimaniyah station in the city closes earlier at 23:30, so the city end is the binding constraint on a late return; outside those hours the road options are taxis and ride-hailing apps, which the airport operator lists as available at the terminals |
| Payments | The Saudi riyal (SAR) is fixed at SAR 3.75 to the US dollar, with 100 halalas to the riyal; Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are widely accepted and digital wallets including Apple Pay work at most retailers |
| Tap water | No official verdict on the Jeddah tap. Drink sealed bottled water. We could not read any Saudi water authority page, so we do not call the tap safe. |
| Emergency | 911 (911 is the police number in Jeddah; ambulance is 997 and fire is 998) |
| Solo & at night | The Saudi Tourism Authority states that metros, buses, and taxis are safe for women and that many offer female-only services, and that Saudi Arabia has a low crime rate |
| Crew knows | The rail station is built into the main terminal, so the 16 minute run to Al Sulaimaniyah starts at the concourse rather than at a taxi rank. Plan the return around the city end: Al Sulaimaniyah shuts at 23:30 while the airport station stays open until 00:30 |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · JED crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from King Abdulaziz Airport into Jeddah: which ride makes sense?
The Haramain High Speed Railway does the work here. Its station is built into the main terminal building, so the walk from the concourse to the platform replaces the usual taxi rank scramble, and the run to the city is short. Everything else out of the airport is road: taxis and four ride-hailing apps, an airport shuttle, and rental desks. No official source we could read publishes a road fare or a road journey time, so those fields stay empty rather than estimated.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (Haramain High Speed Railway, airport to Al Sulaimaniyah, Jeddah) | 16 minutes airport to city, 20 minutes city back to the airport about hourly |
base fare SAR 22 economy, SAR 40 business, with VAT and fees not included and the final price varying by date, occupancy, and other factors | The station is an integrated structure inside the main airport terminal building and forms a transport hub connecting the terminal with rail, buses, shuttles, taxis, and car parking. It is open daily 06:30 to 00:30. Al Sulaimaniyah station sits in the An Nassim district, 20 km from the airport, and is open daily 07:30 to 23:30. On Tuesday 2026-09-01 the operator’s timetable returned 16 airport departures between 06:05 and 22:35, all non-stop and all 16 minutes; on Friday 2026-09-04 it returned 15 between 00:35 and 23:35. No clock time is published here because the timetable is queried per date and the two dates differed. The airport operator states departures every hour and quotes a starting price of SAR 65 for standard class, which MATCHES the base economy fare to Makkah on the rail operator’s own table rather than any fare to the city; KAIA never says what the figure refers to and the item name is an unfilled template. |
| Train (Haramain High Speed Railway, airport to Makkah, Madinah, and KAEC) | 54 minutes to Makkah with one stop, 1 hour 54 minutes to Madinah with one stop, or 1 hour 48 minutes on the two non-stop services ten Madinah departures on 2026-09-01, roughly two-hourly from 06:00 to 22:00 (06:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 20:00, 22:00); sixteen Makkah departures, 06:05 then 07:35 to 22:35 |
base economy fare SAR 65 to Makkah, SAR 130 to Madinah, SAR 54 to King Abdullah Economic City; business SAR 101.40, SAR 365, and SAR 105; VAT and fees not included | Read the restriction before you buy: the Saudi Tourism Authority states that the holy city of Makkah is reserved for Muslim visitors only, while Al Madinah is open to all. Non-Muslim crew cannot use the Makkah leg. The Makkah service calls at Al Sulaimaniyah, Jeddah, with a 4 minute stop. Madinah frequency is stated for Tuesday 2026-09-01 only, because the timetable is queried per date. |
| Taxi | The airport operator lists taxi as an on-demand transport option at Terminal 1, the North Terminal, and the Hajj and Umrah Terminal. No meter tariff, airport surcharge, flat rate, or fare estimate to the city is published on any official page we could read, so no figure is stated here. Nationally, the tourism authority describes taxis as book the ride, track the driver, and pay by card or cash. | ||
| Ride-hailing app (Uber, Careem, Bolt, Jeeny) | app-priced; the airport publishes no fare | The airport operator lists all four apps under on-demand transportation with Terminal 1 as their location. That is a narrower listing than the taxi entry, which also covers the North Terminal and the Hajj and Umrah Terminal, so do not assume an app pickup point exists at the other two. The tourism authority confirms Uber, Careem, Bolt, and Jeeny all operate in major Saudi cities and that you pay by card or cash. | |
| Airport shuttle bus (AlShatei Buses, Nwbus Shuttles) | AlShatei operates 24 hours a day with departures every 30 minutes | AlShatei tickets start at SAR 23 | The airport operator frames its shuttle service as connecting terminals and key locations around Jeddah Airport, not as a service into central Jeddah, and publishes no route or stop list into the city. AlShatei is listed as available across all terminals. Nwbus Shuttles run a direct service from Terminal 1 to Makkah and are equipped for passengers with special needs; the Makkah restriction on the rail row applies to this service too. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Jeddah, from the old town at Al Balad to the district around the city rail station
Historic Jeddah (Al Balad): The UNESCO listed old town of coral stone houses, carved wooden balconies, and narrow lanes, now full of galleries and cafes; the one district worth a short window.
Jeddah Corniche: The Red Sea waterfront strip of sculptures, cafes, and open promenade, built for the evening rather than the middle of the day.
Al Sulaimaniyah and An Nassim: The district around the city rail station, which is where the train from the airport puts you down and where you start every onward move.
Jeddah Art Promenade: Contemporary district of galleries, events, and open-air installations along the coast, a calmer counterweight to the old town.
Jeddah Yacht Club: Coastal marina quarter given over to sailing, shopping, and dining, the newest of the waterfront developments.
What to Do on a Layover in Jeddah, from a sit airside to a full day at the old town and the waterfront
Under 5 hours: Stay airside. The rail station sits inside the terminal, but a city round trip plus immigration in both directions does not fit, and if your booking makes you pass immigration you may need a transit visa to leave at all.
5 to 9 hours: One clean move: the train to Al Sulaimaniyah, one district, and back on the same line. Fix your return train before you leave the platform, and remember the city station shuts at 23:30 while the airport station runs to 00:30.
9 hours plus: A full run at the old town and the waterfront is realistic, with a meal in between. Plan around the heat if you are here outside the cooler months, because most of the walking is outdoors and unshaded.
Crew Tips for Jeddah and King Abdulaziz Airport
Buying a rail ticket and the boarding window: Boarding opens 60 minutes before departure and closes 10 minutes before it, so a ten minute late arrival is a missed train. Buy through the operator’s website or app, by calling 920004433, or at the station ticket office or a vending machine, which takes credit cards. Tickets bought at station ticket offices and vending machines cannot be changed or refunded, so buy online if your layover might move. Economy changes cost 10 percent of the ticket price more than 24 hours out and 20 percent inside 24 hours, and nothing can be changed inside 20 minutes of departure.
Makkah is closed to non-Muslim visitors: The Saudi Tourism Authority states plainly that the holy city of Makkah is reserved for Muslim visitors only, while Al Madinah is open to all tourists. The rail line and a direct airport shuttle both run to Makkah, so this is a booking decision, not a discovery to make at the barrier. If you are not Muslim, plan Jeddah or Madinah instead.
Leaving the airport may need a visa: The tourism authority states that a transit visa is required if you plan to exit the transit area and pass through immigration, and that two separate bookings through Saudi Arabia force you through immigration and therefore require one. Holders of a valid USA, UK, or Schengen tourist or business visa, and permanent residents of the UK, US, or EU, are eligible for a Saudi tourist visa on arrival. The airport operator prices a visa on arrival at 300 Saudi riyals, subject to change, states that it takes 10 to 30 minutes, and states that cash payment is not available so you need a credit card.
Airport Wi-Fi: The network is called _KAIA Free Wi-Fi. Select it, accept the terms on the welcome page, and you are on. The operator’s own policy tab says the free session is three hours; two other blocks on the same page say six. Plan on three. The same policy warns that bandwidth is shared and can slow at peak times, and advises against sending personal or financial information over it.
SIM cards and connectivity: The tourism authority names STC, Mobily, and Zain as the major national providers and states that SIM cards are sold at mobile network provider stores and authorized dealers. The airport operator’s services index lists all three under Telecom. Neither source publishes counter locations, opening hours, or prices, so ask at an information desk rather than counting on a specific terminal.
The cash and valuables declaration threshold has dropped: The airport operator is running a standing notice that the customs declaration threshold on entering or leaving the Kingdom has been reduced from SAR 60,000 to SAR 40,000. It applies to currencies, bearer negotiable instruments, gold bars, precious metals, gemstones, and jewellery worth SAR 40,000 or more, or the equivalent in foreign currency. If you carry crew jewellery or a watch collection, that is now a lower bar than it used to be. The airport lists lockers and lockboxes at Terminal 1, the North Terminal and the Hajj and Umrah Complex, open 24 hours. It publishes no price and no size limits anywhere on that page, so we do not quote either. Ask at the desk before you plan around it.
Emergency Numbers for Jeddah, King Abdulaziz Airport, and Saudi Arabia
👉 Swipe sideways if the numbers do not fit
| Emergency service (works from any mobile, and the number most non-Gulf crew dial by reflex) | 112 |
| Police in Makkah Province, which includes Jeddah | 911 |
| Saudi Police, national number (the tourism authority directs Riyadh, Makkah and Eastern Province callers to 911) | 999 |
| Saudi Ambulance | 997 |
| Fire Department | 998 |
| Traffic accidents | 993 |
| Emergency medical consultation (Ministry of Health, 24/7) | 937 |
| General Directorate of Passports | 992 |
| King Abdulaziz International Airport helpline (emergencies at the airport) | 920011233 |
| Tourism call center | 930 |
| International tourism call center | +966 920000890 |
| Saudi Arabia country code (calling from abroad) | +966 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Jeddah airport into the city?
Take the Haramain High Speed Railway from the station built into the main terminal building. The run to Al Sulaimaniyah station in Jeddah takes 16 minutes non-stop, and the return leg is timetabled at 20 minutes. The base fare is SAR 22 in economy and SAR 40 in business, with VAT and fees not included and the final price varying by date and train occupancy. Trains run about hourly. Outside station hours the options are taxis, which the airport lists at Terminal 1, the North Terminal, and the Hajj and Umrah Terminal, and the Uber, Careem, Bolt, and Jeeny apps, which the airport lists at Terminal 1. No official source publishes a road fare.
What time does the Haramain train run from Jeddah airport?
The rail station at the airport is open daily 06:30 to 00:30, and Al Sulaimaniyah station in the city is open daily 07:30 to 23:30, so the city end closes an hour earlier. Departures are about hourly. Exact clock times are not published here because the operator’s timetable is queried per date and the pattern differed between the two dates checked. Boarding opens 60 minutes before departure and closes 10 minutes before it.
Can I take the train from Jeddah airport to Makkah?
Only if you are Muslim. The Saudi Tourism Authority states that the holy city of Makkah is reserved for Muslim visitors only, while Al Madinah is open to all tourists. The rail journey to Makkah takes 54 minutes with one stop at Al Sulaimaniyah and a base economy fare of SAR 65; Madinah is 1 hour 54 minutes with one stop, or 1 hour 48 minutes on the two non-stop services at a base economy fare of SAR 130. A direct Nwbus shuttle also runs from Terminal 1 to Makkah, and the same restriction applies to it.
Do I need a visa to leave Jeddah airport on a layover?
Possibly. The Saudi Tourism Authority states that a transit visa is required if you plan to exit the transit area and pass through immigration, and that two separate bookings through Saudi Arabia force you through immigration and therefore require one. Holders of a valid USA, UK, or Schengen tourist or business visa, and permanent residents of the UK, US, or EU, are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival. The airport operator prices a visa on arrival at 300 Saudi riyals, subject to change, says it takes 10 to 30 minutes, and says cash is not accepted, so bring a credit card.
Can you drink the tap water in Jeddah?
No published verdict on Jeddah tap water could be confirmed, so this guide gives none. GASTAT reports that around 100 percent of Saudi households have access to basic drinking water services and 99.8 percent to safely managed services, but also that bottled water is the main household drinking source at 47.3 percent against 36.5 percent from the public network. Use sealed bottled water for drinking and for the crew bottle.
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Crew Discounts in Jeddah: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you walk through to the rail platform. Next Jeddah rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
