Low-cost carrier flydubai has issued an operational bulletin stating that, from 25 February 2026, all of its services between Dubai International (DXB) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) will relocate from Terminal 3 to the newly opened Terminal 5. The final flights from the old facility—FZ 843/844—will depart early that day, after which FZ 849/850 will inaugurate the airline’s move to the purpose-built low-cost terminal.(flydubai.com)
Terminal 5, designed for 12 million passengers a year, features 30 self-service kiosks, biometric e-gates and a dedicated pier for narrow-body aircraft. Saudi authorities say the facility is central to Vision 2030 plans to triple the kingdom’s passenger throughput and position Riyadh as a regional hub. For business travellers the switch promises faster minimum connection times onto Saudia and other partners, plus shorter landside-to-airside transfer queues.
![Flydubai to Operate Dubai–Riyadh Flights from New Terminal 5 at King Khalid International]()
Corporate mobility teams with staff shuttling between UAE and Saudi headquarters should update travel policies and ground-transport arrangements. Flydubai advises passengers to double-check booking confirmations and ensure drivers are directed to Terminal 5. Premium-economy and business-class services, including priority immigration lanes for UAE residents using e-gates, will remain unchanged.
The timing gives organisations ten days to brief employees and update duty-of-care tracking systems before the operational go-live. Those with meetings in Riyadh during late February should pad itineraries for possible teething issues as airport personnel fine-tune the new passenger flow.
Terminal 5, designed for 12 million passengers a year, features 30 self-service kiosks, biometric e-gates and a dedicated pier for narrow-body aircraft. Saudi authorities say the facility is central to Vision 2030 plans to triple the kingdom’s passenger throughput and position Riyadh as a regional hub. For business travellers the switch promises faster minimum connection times onto Saudia and other partners, plus shorter landside-to-airside transfer queues.
Corporate mobility teams with staff shuttling between UAE and Saudi headquarters should update travel policies and ground-transport arrangements. Flydubai advises passengers to double-check booking confirmations and ensure drivers are directed to Terminal 5. Premium-economy and business-class services, including priority immigration lanes for UAE residents using e-gates, will remain unchanged.
The timing gives organisations ten days to brief employees and update duty-of-care tracking systems before the operational go-live. Those with meetings in Riyadh during late February should pad itineraries for possible teething issues as airport personnel fine-tune the new passenger flow.
Source: flydubai Operational Update
