By plane
Bahrain International Airport (IATA: BAH) is the primary hub of Gulf Air and is located in Muharraq, east of Manama. It offers good connections across the region as well as to London. The airport offers excellent tax-free shopping; a Transhotel that provides beds and showers (for a charge) to passengers waiting for flights is presently being renovated. Many inhabitants of eastern Saudi Arabia prefer to travel via Bahrain, and Gulf Air provides service to Khobar and Dammam to meet this demand; inquire when making your reservation.
Air Arabia, a low-cost airline based in the United Arab Emirates, operates daily flights from Sharjah airport (IATA: SHJ), located north of Dubai.
Unlike most airports, this one is quite tiny, which is advantageous since departure and arrival are both quick (and simple).
By bus
The Saudi Arabia Transportation Company (SABTCO) [www],, tel. + 973-17252959, runs eight buses daily from the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) bus station in Dammam to the bus terminal adjacent to the Lulu Center in Manama, through Khobar in Saudi Arabia, crossing the King Fahd Causeway.
Comfortable minibuses with air conditioning and a baggage trailer are used for the service. Tickets are SR60 / BD6 and may be bought in advance, but if space is available, they will leave you without a reservation. Two passport inspections and two customs controls are required to cross the Calzada; allow 2 hours for the journey, plus traffic delays at busy periods like as Wednesday evenings. Buses may be quicker than private vehicles in congested areas because they can utilize separate immigration and customs lanes.
By car
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are connected by the 26-kilometer King Fahd Causeway. In general, rental cars are not permitted, however SABTCO BahrainLimo taxis with a capacity of up to four passengers may transport you for BD30 / SR300. Unofficial taxis, which may be found at both sides of the bus terminal, may provide significantly cheaper prices.
