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Post by aussie hopeful on Jul 14, 2014 8:39:47 GMT
I am already looking at holidays and want to know. Hubby already in KSA, when the children and I arrive in KSA and receive our exit and entry visa, can we come and go through Bahrain airport straight away and is it easier the Dammam?
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Wutz
Senior Member
Posts: 143
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Post by Wutz on Jul 14, 2014 9:26:35 GMT
The issue with Bahrain is mostly the causeway & how long you spend at emigration/customs to/from Bahrain. It can be as little as 10 minutes (very early morning on weekends, most of the time on weekdays except Thursday), and as long as 4 hours or more (big holidays and Saudi school holiday periods). Most of the time, it's less than an hour (which can feel like forever when you're only going less than a kilometer, and when everyone around you is driving like complete a**h***s). I should note that people only really drive aggressively & impolitely at customs when traffic backs up.
My family and I actually prefer to fly through Dammam most of the time. It depends on schedules and sometimes it's cheaper to fly from DMM, sometimes BAH.
Wutz
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Post by Bosentang on Jul 14, 2014 11:00:53 GMT
I make it a point never to fly through Dammam. I have been stuck in Dammam Immigration for over 4 hours and heard about delay being in excess of 10 hours (though not typical). I have never been less than an hour in Dammam. I even have an Ecard for Dammam that allows you to pass through immigration without waiting in the lines. In the two years I've had the card, the machine that reads the card has not been working.
My experience with the immigration in Bahrain is that it takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
Personally, I would rather deal with a delay on the causeway while comfortable in my car listening to my music or book on tape, then being treated like cattle waiting on Immigration at Dammam airport.
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derekg
Senior Member
Posts: 107
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Post by derekg on Jul 14, 2014 13:58:53 GMT
Another flying alternative is Doha if you fly Qatar airways. It is normally about 4.5 hours driving time from Dhahran to the Doha airport. Generally this corresponds to approximately the same time as driving to Bahrain (or Dammam), clearing immigration, then flying and waiting at the other end. Just another option - best to weigh prices from all three airports.
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Post by Guiness10 on Aug 5, 2014 17:32:57 GMT
I have flown from both dammam and bahrain .. I find bahrain a much better airport as there is nothing in dammam and bahrain is easier when reentering .. However I agree with wutz that the causeway i and miss I've been sat there for over 4 hrs before .. Bahrain has facilities dammam doesn't ... Dammam is easier to get to
If you need anything else let me know
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Post by gareth0127 on Aug 6, 2014 13:04:27 GMT
Dammam has improved considerably over the last 2 years. During the last approx. 10 times I have used Dammam I would say the avee time to leave through customs is 20 mins and the same coming back. I have even been at the luggage carousel before my case the last few times. Once you are though customs it is a short journey to Dhahran or RT.
When you travel to Bahrain you have to allow a minimum of 2 hours for the causeway in case of traffic and the same coming back, plus your airport check in/customs.
At both airports and causeway you can have a nightmare wait time. But no worse than Heathrow, Miami etc
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