Low-cost carrier flydubai has issued an operational bulletin confirming that all Dubai–Riyadh flights will move from Terminal 3 to the brand-new Terminal 5 at King Khalid International Airport (RUH) with effect from 25 February 2026. The notice, published on 13 February at 14:31 GST, states that flights FZ 849/850 will inaugurate the new facility, while FZ 843/844 will be the last to depart the older terminal earlier that day. (flydubai.com)
Terminal 5 is designed for 12 million passengers a year and features biometric e-gates, 30 self-service kiosks and a dedicated low-cost pier—aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objective to handle 330 million travellers annually. The move gives flydubai extra gates during Riyadh’s busy evening departure wave and improves minimum connection times for passengers transferring onto Saudia-flydubai interline services.
Before finalising itineraries, travellers should also confirm that their entry documents for Saudi Arabia or the UAE are in order. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines the process by listing current visa requirements, offering digital application support and courier services, and can notify corporate travel teams of any regulatory changes—reducing last-minute surprises when routes or terminals shift.
![Flydubai to shift Riyadh operations to new Terminal 5 from 25 February]()
For UAE-based corporates the switch is operationally material: airport transfer times within RUH will change, ground-transport providers need new access permits, and duty-of-care systems should update terminal information in traveller tracking apps.
Employees with physical disabilities can expect shorter walking distances thanks to Terminal 5’s compact layout, but premium-class passengers will lose lounge reciprocity until Emirates’ partner lounge opens later in the year.
Cargo shippers using flydubai’s belly-hold product must note the revised drop-off gate, while travel managers should alert staff that older meeting-point signage in Riyadh may still reference Terminal 3 for several weeks.
The change also signals intensifying competition on the Dubai–Riyadh corridor as Saudia’s low-cost arm flyadeal prepares to enter the market; positioning at the purpose-built LCC terminal should help flydubai defend market share.
Terminal 5 is designed for 12 million passengers a year and features biometric e-gates, 30 self-service kiosks and a dedicated low-cost pier—aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objective to handle 330 million travellers annually. The move gives flydubai extra gates during Riyadh’s busy evening departure wave and improves minimum connection times for passengers transferring onto Saudia-flydubai interline services.
Before finalising itineraries, travellers should also confirm that their entry documents for Saudi Arabia or the UAE are in order. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines the process by listing current visa requirements, offering digital application support and courier services, and can notify corporate travel teams of any regulatory changes—reducing last-minute surprises when routes or terminals shift.
For UAE-based corporates the switch is operationally material: airport transfer times within RUH will change, ground-transport providers need new access permits, and duty-of-care systems should update terminal information in traveller tracking apps.
Employees with physical disabilities can expect shorter walking distances thanks to Terminal 5’s compact layout, but premium-class passengers will lose lounge reciprocity until Emirates’ partner lounge opens later in the year.
Cargo shippers using flydubai’s belly-hold product must note the revised drop-off gate, while travel managers should alert staff that older meeting-point signage in Riyadh may still reference Terminal 3 for several weeks.
The change also signals intensifying competition on the Dubai–Riyadh corridor as Saudia’s low-cost arm flyadeal prepares to enter the market; positioning at the purpose-built LCC terminal should help flydubai defend market share.
