12 Bus Route Riyadh: The As Suwaidi to Dirab BRT Line Toward Ali Ibn Abi Talib

12 Bus Route Riyadh: The As Suwaidi to Dirab BRT Line Toward Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Route 12 is the second of Riyadh’s three BRT lines and the one that serves the south-west, running east to west across Al-Mansurah, Al-Yamamah, Dirab and Hamza Bin Abdulmuttalib to As-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi and Western Station.

Sources name its ends slightly differently. KSA Expats’ January 2025 list gives Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi to Ali Ibn Abi Talib Terminal, and Time Out Riyadh calls it the As Suwaidi to Ash-Shifa BRT route. The RCRC station data has its eastern group at Al-Mansurah and no Ali Ibn Abi Talib station on this line, so the last stretch towards that terminal is not confirmed by the dataset.

Route 12 is also heavily tagged for later development: 31 of its 41 stations carry the beyond-stage-5.2 tag. That is a reason to check the app before relying on any particular station being open.

Route 12 Details

Stations and Stop Order on the 12

The numbered BRT stations run from 21 at Al-Mansurah in the east down to 02 at As-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi in the west, and their coordinates confirm that order in both directions. Dirab and Hamza Bin Abdulmuttalib each have 14 of the 41 stations, so the middle of the line is stop-dense, while Al-Yamamah, Utayqah and As-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi have 2 each.

Direction 1 has one more station than direction 2: Western Station A, which the dataset classes as an iconic metro station and tags beyond stage 5.2. Wikipedia’s Line 3 table lists Western Station as an interchange with BRT line 12 and the Blue Line community route 730. The dataset’s coordinates sit within a box 9.3 km north-south by 13.0 km east-west.

The stage tags are lopsided: 31 stations beyond stage 5.2, 8 at stage 1 and 2 at stage 4. The dataset describes the network as planned once fully developed and does not explain the stage codes, so a listed station is not proof that it is open today.

Fare and Payment

KSA Expats lists a 2-hour pass at SAR 4 that it describes as covering bus and metro rides. Because Route 12’s western end links with Metro Line 3 at Western Station, a rider starting in Dirab and continuing on the metro may be able to stay inside one pass, but the sources do not spell out transfer rules. Confirm the price and transfer terms in the Riyadh Bus app.

How to Ride the 12 Bus

1. Pick your station: a Dirab or Hamza Bin Abdulmuttalib station for the middle of the line, or Al-Mansurah at the eastern end.
2. Open the Riyadh Bus app and check that Route 12 is running at the station you plan to use, given how many stations are tagged for later stages.
3. Pay with your pass or the payment option shown in the app.
4. Ride to As-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi or Western Station and change to Metro Line 3 if you are continuing by train.

Frequently Asked Questions About Route 12

Where does the 12 bus go?
KSA Expats lists Route 12 as Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi to Ali Ibn Abi Talib Terminal. The RCRC data places its stations between Western Station in the west and Al-Mansurah in the east, through Dirab and Hamza Bin Abdulmuttalib.

Is Route 12 a BRT line?
Yes. Time Out Riyadh names BRT 12 as one of three dedicated-lane routes, calling it the As Suwaidi to Ash-Shifa route, and 38 of the 41 stations in the RCRC dataset are BRT stations.

Does Route 12 connect to the metro?
Wikipedia’s Line 3 table lists Western Station as an interchange with BRT line 12. Western Station A is the line’s iconic metro station in the RCRC data, tagged beyond stage 5.2, so confirm it is in use.

Why are so many Route 12 stations tagged beyond stage 5.2?
The dataset gives 31 of 41 stations that tag but does not define the stage codes. It describes the network as planned once fully developed, so treat those stations as unconfirmed until the app shows them.

How often does the 12 bus run?
None of the sources reviewed publishes an interval for Route 12, and Life in Saudi Arabia’s route list does not include it. Check the Riyadh Bus app for departure times before you travel.

Does Route 12 reach Ali Ibn Abi Talib Terminal?
KSA Expats says so, but the RCRC data has no Ali Ibn Abi Talib station on this line; its eastern group is Al-Mansurah. That last stretch is unconfirmed, so check the destination shown in the app.

Riyadh Public Transport FAQs

What do the stage tags in the RCRC data mean?
The dataset tags stations with stages from 1 to 5.2 and a beyond-5.2 group, and describes the lines as planned once the whole network is developed. It does not define each stage, so use it for station locations and not for opening status.

How long is Riyadh’s dedicated bus lane network?
Wikipedia describes three BRT routes with 160 km of dedicated bus lanes. Route 12 is one of them, so it is part of that dedicated-lane group. Confirm current operation in the app.

Nearby Routes and Connections

12 Bus Route Riyadh: The As Suwaidi to Dirab BRT Line Toward Ali Ibn Abi Talib – For the north-south BRT line that meets Ali Ibn Abi Talib, see 11 Bus Route Riyadh. Another line serving central and western districts is 170 Bus Route Riyadh, which also ends at Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi. See the Riyadh bus routes hub for the full list. For live service details, check the Riyadh Bus official website or the Riyadh Bus app. 12 Bus Route Riyadh: The As Suwaidi to Dirab BRT Line Toward Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Comparing Gulf city networks? The Kuwait bus routes directory covers Kuwait route by route, and KuwaitBusRoute.Blogspot.com keeps a companion blog on Kuwait city buses. 12 Bus Route Riyadh: The As Suwaidi to Dirab BRT Line Toward Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Data notes: station lists from the RCRC Open Data Portal (2024 dataset describing the network as planned once fully developed); route names and older stop patterns from Edarabia, KSA Expats (January 2025) and Life in Saudi Arabia (January 2025). BRT context from Time Out Riyadh (April 2024) and the Western Station interchange from Wikipedia’s Line 3 table. Bus timings and fares change, so confirm them in the Riyadh Bus app.

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خط الحافلة رقم 12 في الرياض — خط النقل السريع من السويدي الغربي عبر ديراب باتجاه علي بن أبي طالب.