Riyadh Airport

This airport is a complete mess. The airport administration completely failed to handle the flight delays since Wednesday April 1. Thousands of passengers were stranded and spent 3 days in the airport. Passengers were sleeping on the ground. No meals or accommodation was provided. No medical service was provided. Airport and the national airline agents did not provide any information. The monitors do not provide information. Rest rooms are terrible. The cafeterias do not provide good quality food despite the high prices. The bottom line this is one of the worst airports. Neither the administrators or the workers have any idea about customer service.

Over the past year there have been marked improvements at this airport. Check in can still be a nightmare if it is busy season however once through immigration and security there is now a very good duty free are as well as a much better range of dining options. The departure lounge is not that big but it is way better than it was a few years back. I recently arrived at 21.30 on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt. When I saw the queue at immigration my heart sank! There were passengers from three other large aircraft's and was expecting to be in passport control for well over an hour. To my surprise the queue cleared within 20 minutes and the immigration officers were polite organised and efficient. Immigration staff now wear local dress instead of the customary uniforms. There are triple the number of passport counters in staggered formation. All in all I was really impressed by the new revamp. Things can only get better.

Being a resident of Riyadh I use this airport a lot and it's horrific. Long queues (especially when there are flights coming and going to South Asia) slow and bad service and the terminal isn't clean at all (better if you avoid the restrooms). If you're flying first or business class the lounges are OK better than waiting in the terminal. But its not as bad as it was years ago. If you're able to avoid KKIA you should.

I have had reason to use Riyadh KKIA airport several times recently. Both international and domestic terminals. Found check-in very quick and easy with no major queues at immigration. Staff in general friendly enough. No up- market restaurants but several fast food places including coffee bars Dominos Piizza and Burger King. Found it clean generally and easier to use than some other airports in the Gulf States. On each arrival (about 6 in the last 6 months) I have found immigration quite quick and friendlier than more well known destinations such as Dubai. Domestic travel in KSA very easy.

Unfortunately navigating Riyadh airport is a necessary evil for accessing Saudi Arabia. I have the following points: There are few facilities even following a recent modernisation. The toilets should be avoided at all costs. Queues can be horrific especially if you have the misfortune to arrive at the same time as a flight from South East Asia. Keep as far right in the lanes as you can. Don't be surprised to be moved from queue to queue even to a slower one. Also don't be surprised to get to the front of the queue and be asked to move somewhere and sit on a bench then be left there for two hours before being allowed through without any explanation at all. Basically your experience of the airport will be the same non-sensical experience you get elsewhere in the Kingdom too.

CDG-Chennai and return July 30 and August 7th. On my way to Chennai I was one of the last people visiting the "old" lounge not so bad. When travelling back to France I (almost) inaugurated the new one! Delicious food hot or cold lavish pastries buffet and quiet atmosphere most of the time (4 hours) I spent there. Kind of Heathrow Skyteam lounge even better! (Well no wine no champagne).

Really I am not sure why this airport got such poor reviews. Curbside drop off was convenient. I am at the airport now sitting in a comfortable seat and using free wifi. The airport is clean with a lot of natural light security was easy fast and as professional as anywhere else. I even found my gate very easily. I have been to a lot of airports in the Middle East Europe and the US if you are complaining about this one then you are simply too picky!

Customs is slow they stopped to talk about 2 to 3 mins after every 30 seconds while processing your passport. Signage at the baggage handling area is not properly setup and the whole place looks rundown. Took 10 mins to walk through the conveyor belts before I found my luggage.

Being a resident of Riyadh I frequently travel through King Khalid International Airport. The airport is not as par with the international standards but still gives a sense of peace with the limited space it has as the airport caters passengers through its 3 terminals. The duty free shops are good the eateries are fine and washrooms are clean. The security issue is not that stringent as compared to the most western countries. So you easily move out once you arrive or depart saving time. The only delay is for the first timers due to biometrics. Owing to the increase in air traffic the airport is getting chaotic a bit and need modernisation especially the International Terminal - 1 serving all International Airlines except Saudia. The only area of concern is the trolleys usually at times you don't get even one. Overall it's a low profile air facility with all the vital amenities.

I had a 10 hour connection between flights from Delhi to London. In short the airside area is clean and boring. The toilet facilities were much cleaner than elsewhere in the region. There were 3 cafes and 1 restaurant as well as a small duty free shop. It looked like they were building a few more shops. If you have a long connection definitely pay to use the Saudia lounge. It's not a great lounge but there is wifi and plenty of food and drinks.