981 Bus Route Riyadh: The Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi to Tuwaiq Line Best guide

981 Bus Route Riyadh: The Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi to Tuwaiq Line

Dear All, here are the details about the 981 Bus Route Riyadh | Route 981 is an east-west line in west Riyadh. KSA Expats’ January 2025 list gives it as Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi to Tuwaiq, and Wikipedia’s Line 3 table lists Tuwaiq as a metro station.

The Royal Commission’s 2024 data holds 39 stations in three groups: Khadijah Bint Khuwailid (24), Madina Munwarah (9) and Asma Bint Abi Bakr (6). Neither end named by KSA Expats is a group in the dataset, and the three groups lie between them.

Route 981 shares two group names with Route 980, Khadijah Bint Khuwailid and Asma Bint Abi Bakr, so the two lines run over some of the same ground. One direction is listed.

Route 981 Details

Stations and Stop Order on the 981

The groups sit within a box 1.5 km north-south by 6.8 km east-west and fall on an almost perfect line, from Madina Munwarah in the east through Asma Bint Abi Bakr to Khadijah Bint Khuwailid in the west. That makes the group order reliable. Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi lies east of the dataset’s eastern end, so the line runs from there westwards.

The three air-conditioned shelters are Khadijah Bint Khuwailid 311 and 411 and Asma Bint Abi Bakr 205. Khadijah Bint Khuwailid has stations numbered 306 to 316 and 406 to 418. RCRC’s sequence numbers do not form a chain.

Stage tags are 19 at stage 2, 10 at stage 1, 9 beyond stage 5.2 and 1 at stage 5. The dataset describes the network as planned once fully developed, so a listed station is not proof that it is open.

Fare and Payment

The 2-hour pass at SAR 4 covers the bus and the metro together, which matters here because Route 981 is named as ending at the Tuwaiq metro station. Frequent riders can step up to the 7-day (SAR 40) or 30-day (SAR 140) pass. No source gives a fare specific to Route 981, so confirm the price in the app.

How to Ride the 981 Bus

1. Start at an Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi or Madina Munwarah stop in the east, or at a Khadijah Bint Khuwailid station if you are already on the line.
2. Open the Riyadh Bus app and check the direction and next departure for Route 981.
3. Pay with your pass or the payment option shown in the app.
4. Alight at the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid station nearest you, or ride to the Tuwaiq end.

Frequently Asked Questions About Route 981

Where does the 981 bus go?
KSA Expats lists Route 981 as Al-Suwaidi Al-Gharbi to Tuwaiq. The RCRC data has 39 stations in three groups between those two ends, 24 of them in Khadijah Bint Khuwailid.

Which areas does Route 981 pass through?
The dataset groups are Madina Munwarah, Asma Bint Abi Bakr and Khadijah Bint Khuwailid, shown here in east-to-west order.

Why does the RCRC data list only one direction?
The dataset shows 39 stations, all in direction 1, and does not say whether the route runs a loop or returns the same way. Confirm the return stops in the Riyadh Bus app.

Does Route 981 overlap with Route 980?
Both have Khadijah Bint Khuwailid and Asma Bint Abi Bakr groups in the RCRC data. The sources do not say the routes share the same stops, so check the nearest station in the app.

Is Route 981 still running?
KSA Expats’ January 2025 list of operating routes includes Route 981. That list is not an official timetable, so confirm current service in the Riyadh Bus app.

How often does the 981 bus run?
None of the sources reviewed publishes an interval for Route 981. Check the Riyadh Bus app for departure times.

Riyadh Public Transport FAQs

How many bus routes does Riyadh have in total?
Wikipedia’s account of the network, current after its fifth rollout phase, counts 53 operating routes, 672 buses and 2,145 stops and stations, with more planned as the network grows.

Can seniors get a discount on Riyadh public transport?
The Royal Commission has referenced discounts for eligible seniors alongside student discounts, though the current age threshold and how to register should be confirmed in the Riyadh Bus or Darb app.

Nearby Routes and Connections

Route 980 also ends near Tuwaiq; see 980 Bus Route Riyadh. Route 170 also starts from Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi; see 170 Bus Route Riyadh, and for a neighbouring line see 970 Bus Route Riyadh. 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. 981 Bus Route Riyadh: The Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi to Tuwaiq Line

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. 981 Bus Route Riyadh: The Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi to Tuwaiq Line

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). Metro station names from Wikipedia’s Line 3 table and discount details from KSA Expats (May 2026).

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خط الحافلة رقم 981 في الرياض — من السويدي الغربي إلى طويق. 981 Bus Route Riyadh: The Al Suwaidi Al Gharbi to Tuwaiq Line