Saudi-UAE road query
 

Does anyone have info on the road running from UAE to Saudi - specifically, can you take that route without having to cut through Qatar? I'm travelling overland from Oman to Turkey, have the Saudi visa but single entry only, and every map I look at, it appears that the only road running from UAE to Saudi cuts into Qatar at Salwa then back out again into Saudi. Getting a visa for Qatar isn't the problem, it's the fact that if I leave Saudi even for 10 miles to cut through Qatar, my visa won't allow me to go back in again!

I know maps can be deceiving sometime, and I've read at least one post made on this board last year which says the road from Riyadh-Hofuf runs directly into UAE: but any specific info from someone who's taken this route recently would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

ZB

You don't need to pass through Qatar to drive Riyadh-Abu Dhabi. Contrary to how it appears on many maps the road runs straight to UAE with a turn-off for Qatar along that route - not the other way round.

The road is narrower and in poorer condition on the Saudi side but still ok. Keep your wits about you on this stretch though - the truck drivers are all over the place after their 24hr stint from Jordan, and the Saudis don't seem to be able to drive at anything below 160 km/h (I think it's the promise of booze and normally-clothed women over the border in Abu Dhabi).

Thanks, Brett - I suspected that was the case, but it's good to have it confirmed by someone who knows the route. I'll try not to get mown down by a lunatic Saudi truck driver.

ZB