Flydubai is set to deepen its footprint on one of the Gulf’s busiest corridors as it prepares to relocate all Dubai Riyadh services to the newly designated Terminal 5 at King Khalid International Airport. The move, effective 25 February 2026, signals a strategic bet on Saudi Arabia’s sweeping aviation transformation and positions the Dubai based carrier for the next phase of regional growth, connectivity and capacity expansion.
A Strategic Shift on a High Demand Corridor
The Dubai Riyadh route is one of the most heavily trafficked city pairs in the Gulf, linking two economic powerhouses and serving business travelers, government delegations, VFR traffic and an increasingly mobile youth population. By shifting operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, flydubai is aligning itself with a broader reorganization of the Saudi capital’s airport infrastructure that seeks to streamline flows and add headroom for growth.
According to the carrier’s latest operational update, flights FZ 843 and FZ 844 on 25 February will be the final services to use Terminal 3, while FZ 849 and FZ 850 will inaugurate flydubai’s presence at Terminal 5 later the same day. This clean, single day transition is designed to minimize disruption and provide clarity for passengers during the switchover period.
The relocation is not simply a matter of changing gates. It reflects a recalibration of where foreign carriers sit in Riyadh’s terminal hierarchy as the airport operator prepares for a new era of scale and competition. For flydubai, securing a footprint in Terminal 5 offers a more future proof base to serve a route that has become a cornerstone of its Saudi Arabia network.
Inside Terminal 5: Capacity, Technology and the Passenger Experience
Terminal 5 at King Khalid International Airport is the newest passenger facility on the field and has been engineered with both capacity and efficiency in mind. Designed to handle around 12 million passengers a year and capable of serving up to 16 narrow body or eight wide body aircraft at any one time, it provides a significant uplift compared with older terminals that were retrofitted over the decades.
The terminal incorporates features tailored to the needs of modern point to point and low cost carriers. These include extensive self service infrastructure, such as around 30 check in kiosks, automated bag drops and streamlined security and boarding areas that can help reduce turnaround times. A more compact footprint shortens walking distances, which is particularly important during Riyadh’s intense summer heat and for passengers with reduced mobility.
Digitalization is another defining characteristic. Biometric enabled e gates and upgraded screening systems are designed to improve throughput while maintaining strict security controls. For an airline like flydubai, which relies on tight scheduling and fast aircraft rotations to support its low cost model, such infrastructure is a meaningful operational advantage.
How the Move Enhances Connectivity and Operational Efficiency
From an operational perspective, relocating to Terminal 5 is expected to give flydubai additional gate access during Riyadh’s busy evening and late night banks, when demand on the Dubai Riyadh corridor is strongest. By having more predictable access to stands and boarding gates designed for narrow body operations, the airline can better protect on time performance and reduce ground handling bottlenecks.
The terminal’s design also enables more efficient passenger flows from curbside to gate, which can translate into shorter queues at check in, security and boarding. That efficiency is especially valuable to business travelers shuttling between the two capitals who prize reliable, time saving journeys over ancillary frills. For corporate travel managers and government traffic coordinators, a more dependable schedule and smoother ground experience can be a decisive factor when choosing preferred carriers.
On the connectivity side, the move supports smoother interline and codeshare flows between flydubai and its partners that also serve Riyadh. As Terminal 5 is progressively dedicated to international operations by foreign airlines under Riyadh Airports’ transformation plan, passengers connecting between carriers will benefit from closer gate proximity and more intuitive wayfinding, reducing overall minimum connection times and missed connection risks.
Saudi Arabia’s Terminal Transformation and Vision 2030 Context
The relocation of flydubai’s Riyadh flights cannot be viewed in isolation. It sits within a major terminal transformation at King Khalid International Airport that begins in the first quarter of 2026, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aviation ambitions. Under the new terminal strategy, Terminal 5 is being reoriented toward international services operated by foreign carriers, while Terminals 3 and 4 are set to specialize in domestic flying and Terminals 1 and 2 will concentrate international operations flown by national airlines.
This reshuffling is designed to improve capacity utilization, ease passenger movement between facilities and cement Riyadh’s position as a gateway capable of handling a steep rise in traffic. Saudi authorities have set a long term goal of accommodating hundreds of millions of travelers annually across the kingdom, and the capital’s main airport is central to that vision. Rationalizing which airlines and markets are handled in which terminals is a prerequisite for achieving those throughput numbers without compromising the passenger experience.
For foreign carriers like flydubai, being among the early movers into the new configuration offers strategic benefits. Early adaptation helps the airline secure optimal slots in the redesigned terminal footprint and signals long term commitment to the Saudi market at a time when bilateral ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are increasingly focused on trade, tourism and investment flows.
What Travelers Need to Know About the Change
For passengers, the shift from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 will be most visible in the ground journey at Riyadh. Travelers booked on flydubai services between Dubai International and King Khalid International Airport on or after 25 February will need to arrive and depart through the new terminal, which sits in a different location within the airport complex and may involve updated approaches for taxis, ride hailing vehicles and private drivers.
Those flying on the crossover date should pay particular attention to their booking confirmations and pre departure communications from the airline. Early morning and midday flights on 25 February will still operate from Terminal 3, while later services will move to Terminal 5, meaning that passengers traveling on the same day could use different facilities depending on flight number and departure time. Arriving at the wrong terminal could result in delays or missed departures, especially during peak periods.
Once inside Terminal 5, passengers can expect a more contemporary feel, with enhanced signage in both Arabic and English, refreshed dining and retail options and improved seating around the departure gates. While some premium services such as airline affiliated lounges may still be in the ramp up phase, the overall environment is geared toward quick, efficient processing and comfortable waiting areas rather than heavy differentiation by cabin class.
Implications for Business Travelers and Corporate Travel Programs
The Dubai Riyadh shuttle is a lifeline for corporate travelers, consultants, energy sector executives, government officials and finance professionals who regularly commute between the two capitals. For this segment, predictability and time savings typically outweigh other considerations, making terminal configuration and landside access highly material to travel policy decisions.
The relocation to Terminal 5 will require corporate travel managers to update internal travel guides, duty of care briefings and traveler tracking tools to reflect the new terminal codes and meeting points at Riyadh. Ground transportation providers that specialize in airport transfers will also need to secure fresh access permits and adjust pick up and drop off zones, particularly for VIP and chauffeured services.
From a productivity standpoint, the shorter walking distances inside Terminal 5, as well as the potential for faster security and immigration processing, may offset any initial confusion associated with the change. For employees with reduced mobility or tight meeting schedules upon arrival, a compact and well signposted terminal can significantly reduce travel stress and improve the door to door experience.
Companies with large travel volumes on the Dubai Riyadh route may also find that a more efficient Riyadh terminal strengthens the case for maintaining or even expanding their reliance on flydubai, especially if on time performance improves once the airline settles into its new home.
Competitive Dynamics on the Dubai Riyadh Route
The move to Terminal 5 comes as competition on the Dubai Riyadh corridor continues to intensify. Saudi Arabia’s own low cost and hybrid carriers, anchored by the national group’s growth plans and the emergence of new market entrants, are sharpening their offerings on regional routes that connect the kingdom with the UAE. The reassignment of terminals at King Khalid International Airport is intended in part to accommodate that growth while keeping operations orderly and scalable.
By operating from a purpose built, modern terminal focused on international services by foreign carriers, flydubai gains a platform that matches the scale and efficiency ambitions of its Saudi competitors. This is especially pertinent as rivals open new routes between Riyadh and both Dubai International and Dubai World Central, targeting different customer segments and fare sensitivities.
For travelers, this competitive backdrop is likely to translate into more choice in departure times, potentially sharper fares at off peak periods and a gradual enhancement of onboard and ground services as carriers seek to differentiate themselves. Flydubai’s presence in Terminal 5, combined with its close partnership with Emirates via Dubai International’s Terminal 3, allows the airline to offer a mix of low cost point to point pricing and broader network connectivity for those traveling beyond either gateway.
Looking Ahead: Network Growth and Regional Connectivity
Flydubai’s relocation to Terminal 5 underscores the carrier’s wider Saudi strategy. Over recent years the airline has steadily added new points across the kingdom, tapping into emerging industrial hubs, secondary cities and tourism gateway airports beyond the major centers of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The Dubai Riyadh trunk route sits at the apex of that network, acting as both a standalone high demand market and a feeder channel for passengers traveling onward via Dubai to destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe.
As Riyadh Airports’ terminal transformation plan unfolds and Saudi Arabia continues investing heavily in tourism, entertainment and business infrastructure, the volume of two way traffic between the UAE and the kingdom is poised to climb further. Flydubai’s decision to lock in a presence at the reconfigured Terminal 5 suggests that the airline expects sustained demand growth and wants to ensure it can scale capacity without being constrained by legacy terminal layouts.
For regional travelers, the implications are clear. The Dubai Riyadh air bridge is becoming not only more frequent and competitive, but also more structurally robust, backed by modern airport infrastructure on both ends. As Terminal 5 at King Khalid International Airport opens its doors to flydubai’s Dubai flights from 25 February 2026, passengers will gain access to a newer, more efficient facility that has been designed to support the Gulf’s evolving role as a global crossroads for business, leisure and religious travel.