Currency Exchange at Dammam Airport

The exchange rate is fixed at 1 USD = 3.75 SAR. Currency exchange is where banks (and the money traders) do quite well ... The best exchange rate here is at the banks on camp (NCB gives me a really good exchange rate). If you are arriving for the first time, you should be retrieved by some from Aramco, unless you are going to Abqaiq or Ras Tanura which may be a cab ride. The rates from different drivers very erratic and need to be negotiated up front; I would ask the Aramco representative his recommendation on your arrival. Tipping is often appreciated here and the amounts is entirely up to you. If you tip 10-20% that is often sufficient if the service was good and you did not feel your life was endangered by your driver :wink:

Hopefully this helps.

Before we arrived in Kingdom, we ordered some Saudi Riyals through our US bank. We are glad we did. When arriving at the airport late at night, the Aramco officials were very quick, so quick in fact, that we would not have had time (or wits about us -- so tired, distracted) to find a currency exchange counter. We used Riyals immediately to tip airport porters, taxi driver, and for purchasing food at the commissary the next day, since we arrived on a weekend and the banks were closed. Yes, we had an Aramco employee drive our family to our new home, however, we had significant luggage which required us to hire a taxi to trail behind. We paid the taxi ourselves.

When we arrived we had riyals that we ordered via our bank in Texas. It was helpful to have some cash on us to help with first months expenses, tipping, buying needed items and not having to worry about getting a signed check and going to the bank. As for the taxi, we are at RT and when we arrived there was a taxi waiting for us at the airport. Our bags didn't fit in the one taxi so another one arrived shortly later and besides tipping we paid nothing for the taxi. Another option would be doing the currency exchange on your layover. Our recent trip back to the states had a layover in Amsterdam and we exchange some money there to have some cash on hand when we landed. I would not wait until you arrive in DMM to exchange money..everyone is too tired, overwhelmed and too much going on to remember to find a currency exchange.