Airports
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (IATA: RUH), located 35 kilometers north, is the city's main airport. It's one of the four international airports in the country serving over 9 million passengers a year.
Highways
The city is served by a modern major highway system. The main Eastern Ring Road connects the city's south and north, while Northern Ring Road connects the city's east and west. King Fahd Road runs through the center of the city from north to south, in parallel with the East Ring Road. Makkah Road (also known as Khurais Road), which runs east-west across the city's center, connects eastern parts of the city with the city's main business district and the diplomatic quarters.
Railway
Saudi Railway Authority operates two separate passenger and cargo lines between Riyadh and Dammam passing through Hofuf, and Haradh. Two future railway projects connecting Riyadh with Jeddah and Mecca in the western region and connecting Riyadh with Buraidah, Ha'il and Northern Saudi Arabia are underway.
Public transport
The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Co. (SAPTCO), the national bus system, runs a fleet of buses that provides public transportation inside the city, and also an extending service transporting passengers to several cities across the kingdom and neighboring countries.
Riyadh Kingdom Centre Tower
For those with a head for heights, this is certainly an unmissable experience. Free parking underneath the Kingdom Centre - take the escalators up to the shopping mall and follow signs for Sky Bridge. You ascend via the Express Lift, itself very magical as it is decked out with tiny LED lights, some of which are done as shooting stars, so you feel as if you are surrounded by the night sky - watch out, your ears will "pop". This first lift takes you up to the 77th floor, whereupon the concierge will greet you and charge you SRL 25 per person (2007 rates). You then take another separate lift up to the 99th floor. You enter onto the Sky Bridge which affords a 360 degree panorama of Riyadh. Try and get there just before dusk and catch the sun setting over the desert - this happens quite quickly as they don't have twilight as you find in the UK. From then on you see the city changing as all the lights are turned on - they love their neon lights here... The upside down arch beneath the Sky Bridge is also illuminated and slowly changes colour from white to yellow and green and blue. There is a chap up there who will take your photograph (at a charge) but you can take your own pictures too. Thoroughly recommended.
Getting around
Riyadh is very much a car-oriented city, and public transportation is Riyadh is badly underdeveloped. There are no street addresses as such in Riyadh, as mail is delivered to post office boxes, so getting around requires knowing landmarks near the place where you want to go.
By taxi
Most visitors rely on white taxis, which are abundant in the city centre but can be harder to find on the outskirts or at night. Most drivers will use the meter without even asking, and with a starting fare of SR 5 and the meter ticking up SR 1.60/km after the first kilometer, most trips within the city cost under SR 20. The level of English spoken varies from decent (esp. Indian and Pakistani drivers) to non-existent, so try to find out the name of your destination in Arabic before you head off.
By bus
Flat-fare minibuses (SR 3) rumble the streets of Riyadh, but are virtually impossible for the casual visitor to use: there are no posted stops, and routes are usually written only in Arabic.
By car
The best option for traveling in Riyadh is your own car, ideally driven by somebody else used to the conditions, but many expats take the plunge and drive themselves. The traffic in Riyadh is, by Saudi standards, fairly sane: ubiquitous raised bumps on lane markers keep cars traveling more or less in straight line, and radar-equipped cops on the major highways zap the craziest of speeders. Still, the local driving style can charitably be described as "aggressive", with swerving from the leftmost lane to the exit ramp on a four-lane highway being par for course, and central Riyadh jams up almost daily during rush hour.
On foot
The modern, northern half of Riyadh is very pedestrian-hostile, with 8-laned roads filled with speeding SUVs making crossing the road a dangerous exercise. Pedestrian bridges are very few and even at stoplights you need to keep an eye out for crazy drivers. Add in the fearsome summer heat, and it's little surprise that there aren't too many people walking about.
One of the oldest parts of Riyadh - the fort itself is free to enter (just sign your name in the guest book). There is a comprehensive history of Riyadh dating back to the 1930's. All exhibits are explained in English as well as Arabic. As Masmak fort is adjacent to Dirah Square, it probably isn't a good idea to visit on a Friday (Dirah Square is infamously known as "Chop Square") as this is the day when any punishments take place publicly. The car park adjacent to the fort has a small charge - watch out for the numerous men who will rush over and offer to wash your car for you! You are also just across the road from Batha Souk which is well worth a visit - selling everything from complete tat to gold, pashminas, rugs, coats etc.
Al Musmak Castle
Al Musmak Castle is considered one of the important landmarks in the Kingdom and occupies a prominent place in the history of Riyadh city in particular, as it represents the blessed march that led to the foundation and unification of the Kingdom. This castle is associated with the heroic battle of conquering Riyadh under the leadership of King Abdulaziz on the dawn of the fifth of Sha'aban 1319H.
Musmak means the thick, high, and fortified and was built during the reign of Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Rasheed (1289 -1315H) and was captured by King Abdulaziz in 1319H, corresponding to 1902H. Later, it was used as a depot until it was decided to convert the castle into a heritage landmark that represents a stage in the history of Saudi Arabia.
In 1400H, Riyadh Secretariat had prepared a special study to repair Musmak, and then the Ministry of Education (represented in the Assistant Agency for Archeology and Museums) in co-ordination with ArRiyadh Development Authority, has adopted a program to convert this landmark into a museum, to display the stages of the foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by King Abdulaziz. It was opened in 1416H, corresponding to 1995H under the auspicious of H.R.H. Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh.
Gate of the Palace
The Palace Gate lies on the Western side of the Palace. The Gate is 3.6 meters high and 2.65 meters wide. It is made of palm and tamarisk trunks with a thickness of 10 cm. There are three beams each of 25 cm thickness. There is an opening at the center, called the skylight used as a small door that permits the entry of only one person while bending down. This gate has witnessed the fierce battle between King Abdulaziz and his opponents, and it is easy to see the bayonet, which was broken at the gate.
The Mosque
It is located left of the gate. It is a wide room with many pillars and shelves for the Holy Quran, Mihrab and ventilation openings at the walls and roof.
Sitting Place (Saloon)
It lies opposite to the gate. It is a rectangular room with a traditional Najdi burrow. There are ventilation and light openings on the Western side, as well as the southern side, overlooking the main yard.
The Well
The well is found on the north-eastern side, where water is drawn by a scaffold mounted on the mouth of the well. Water is drawn by bucket.
Watch Towers
There is a cylindrical watch tower at each of the four corners of Al Musmak Castle. Each watch tower is 18 meters high. The lower is ascended by stairs and a wood ladder. In each watch tower there is a place for riffles around the premises of the watch tower. The thickness of the wall of the watch tower is about 1.25 meters. There is a square watch tower in the center of the palace. This tower is called Al Muraba'a, that means ‘the square’ and it overlooks the palace through the upper balcony. There is a main yard surrounded by rooms with connected pillars. There are stairs on the Eastern side leading to the first floor and the roofs. There are three residential units, the first was used as a residence for the ruler, the second was used as a treasury and the third was specified for the guests.
