Medina Public Transport Guide 2026: Madinah Bus Routes, Fares, Timings & Map

Madina’s public bus network — Madinah Bus — was rebuilt wholesale in 2025 and expanded again in October 2026. It now runs 15 routes across the city, from the Prophet’s Mosque and the Haramain railway station to the Miqat, Quba Mosque, Uhud and the airport. This guide covers every route with its stops count, frequency and hours, the SR 3.45 flat fare, the airport bus in detail, and how the network connects to the Haramain high-speed railway. Madinah Bus is run by the Madinah Region Development Authority (MDA) and operated by SAPTCO under contract; the operator’s page is Madinah Bus on BusUpdate, and all Madina pages sit under the Madina city hub.

🧭 Madinah Bus at a glance

• Routes: 15 (numbered 130 to 590)
• Fare: SR 3.45 flat, network-wide, since 1 October 2026
• Hours: five routes run 24 hours a day (130, 150, 190, 191, 400); the rest run 06:00 to midnight (18 hours a day)
• Frequencies: every 15 minutes on the 130 and 150; every 20 minutes on most routes; every 40 minutes on the airport 400
• Paying: Madinah Bus smart card (SR 10 from station vending machines), the Madinah Bus app, or subscription products
• Airport: route 400, airport terminal to the Prophet’s Mosque, 24 hours

🎫 Fares, the smart card and the app

Every Madinah Bus journey costs a flat SR 3.45, wherever you board and however far you ride. That has been the network-wide fare since the October 2026 revision, which also brought the airport route 400 down from SR 11.50 to the same SR 3.45 — there is no longer any premium airport fare in Madina.

The standard way to pay is the Madinah Bus smart card, which costs SR 10 and is sold from vending machines at main stations; top it up and tap on as you board. The Madinah Bus app also sells tickets and is the easiest way to check the live network map. Subscription products exist for regular riders; their current prices are not published on the official map, so confirm them in the app before buying. Cash payment to the driver is not the network’s model — get the card or the app sorted before your first ride, ideally at the airport or the Haramain station on arrival.

🚌 All 15 Madinah Bus routes, route by route

The routes below follow the official Madinah Bus network map (madinahbus.mda.gov.sa), which publishes each route’s termini and stop count. Frequencies and operating hours are the operator’s published headways. Each route links to its own BusUpdate page.

Route 130 — Miqat (Dhul Hulayfah) to Haramain High-Speed Railway Station

The 130 is the pilgrim’s link: it ties the Miqat at Dhul Hulayfah — where pilgrims enter ihram for Umrah — directly to the Haramain high-speed railway station, Madina’s gateway for trains from Mecca, Jeddah and the airport corridor. If you arrive by train and are heading to the Miqat before Umrah, this is your route. The route 130 serves 33 stops, runs every 15 minutes and operates 24 hours a day. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 150 — Al-Faisaliyah to Wadi Madhinib (Mudayneb)

With 52 stops, the 150 is one of the network’s longest cross-city runs, tying Al-Faisaliyah to Wadi Madhinib. Together with the 130 it carries the network’s best frequency — a bus every 15 minutes, around the clock. The route 150 serves 52 stops, runs every 15 minutes and operates 24 hours a day. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 190 — Sayyid al-Shuhada Square to Al-Aaliyah

The 190 serves the Uhud side of the city from Sayyid al-Shuhada Square, below Mount Uhud — the route to use for the Uhud battlefield and martyrs’ cemetery visits. The route 190 serves 29 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 24 hours a day. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 191 — Al-Khalidiyah to Al-Qaswa

A 37-stop cross-city route between Al-Khalidiyah and Al-Qaswa, and one of the five routes that run through the night — useful for Fajr journeys across town. The route 191 serves 37 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 24 hours a day. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 230 — Al-Khandaq to King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex

The 230 runs from Al-Khandaq — the Trench battlefield district — to the King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex, one of Madina’s most-visited institutions, where visitors receive a printed Qur’an. The route 230 serves 20 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 231 — Al-Faisaliyah to Miqat (Dhul Hulayfah)

The second route to the Miqat: the 231 gives Al-Faisaliyah and the districts along its 39 stops a direct run to Dhul Hulayfah, complementing the 130 from the Haramain station side. The route 231 serves 39 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 290 — Jabal Ayr to Al-Dhaitha

A 30-stop route from Jabal Ayr, the mountain south of the city, to Al-Dhaitha. The route 290 serves 30 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 291 — Miqat (Dhul Hulayfah) to Industrial Cities

With just 12 stops, the 291 is the network’s shortest local run, linking the Miqat area to the Industrial Cities. The route 291 serves 12 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 310 — Mahzur to Bustan Al-Safiyah

A compact 16-stop neighbourhood route between Mahzur and Bustan Al-Safiyah. The route 310 serves 16 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 390 — King Fahd District to Quba Mosque

The 390 is the Quba service: it runs from King Fahd District to Quba Mosque, the first mosque in Islam. Note there is no direct Prophet’s Mosque to Quba regular bus in the current scheme — the 390 is the way to reach Quba by bus. October 2026 expansion reports describe the Quba corridor re-cut as Airport District to Quba with 34 stops; the official Madinah Bus map still lists the 390 as shown here, and this guide follows the map. The route 390 serves 31 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 391 — Shuran to Al-Aridh District

With 56 stops, the 391 has the most stops of any Madinah Bus route — a long, stop-rich run from Shuran to Al-Aridh District. The route 391 serves 56 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 400 — Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport to Prophet’s Mosque

The 400 is Madina’s flagship airport bus: a limited-stop service (just 6 stops) between the airport terminal and the Prophet’s Mosque, running around the clock. Its fare was SR 11.50 until 30 September 2026 and is SR 3.45 from October 2026 — the same as every other route. Full detail is in the airport section below. The route 400 serves 6 stops, runs every 40 minutes and operates 24 hours a day. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 450 — Al-Mab’uth to Al-Uyun Oasis

The 450 links Al-Mab’uth with Al-Uyun Oasis. October 2026 expansion reporting names an Al-Jabal Park to Wahat Al-Oyoun corridor in its place; the official map still lists the 450 as shown here, and this guide follows the map until it changes. The route 450 serves 29 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 490 — Airport District to Al-Aaliyah

A long 44-stop route from the Airport District to Al-Aaliyah. Careful: the Airport District is the residential area near the airport, not the terminal — for the terminal itself, use the 400. The route 490 serves 44 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

Route 590 — Al-Aaliyah to Al-Qaswa

A 22-stop route between Al-Aaliyah and Al-Qaswa, pairing with the 191 (which ends at Al-Qaswa from the other side of the network). The route 590 serves 22 stops, runs every 20 minutes and operates 06:00 to midnight. Fare SR 3.45 flat.

✈️ The airport bus — route 400 in detail

Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) sits north-east of the city. The route 400 is the public-transport link: a limited-stop bus with just 6 stops between the airport terminal and the Prophet’s Mosque, running 24 hours a day at a 40-minute frequency for the standard SR 3.45 fare. It is timed for flight banks rather than to a clockface timetable, so allow a little slack if your flight is tight — but for most arrivals it is by far the cheapest ride into the centre, and it drops you at the Haram itself. Two warnings from the network’s naming: the route 490 starts in the Airport District, a residential area near — not at — the terminal, so do not wait for it at arrivals; and if your hotel is not near the Prophet’s Mosque, the 400 plus a short connecting ride on a 06:00-to-midnight route (or a taxi for the last leg) is the usual pattern.

🚄 Connecting with the Haramain high-speed railway

Trains from Mecca and Jeddah (including Jeddah’s airport station) arrive at Madina’s Haramain station, west of the centre. The route 130 starts there and runs to the Miqat; city routes from the station area connect into the rest of the network. If your onward point is Quba, ride into the city and change to the route 390; for the airport, the route 400 from the Prophet’s Mosque is the direct link.

🕌 Reaching the places pilgrims visit

• Prophet’s Mosque: the route 400 terminates there directly; the central Haram area is the network’s focal point.
• Quba Mosque: the route 390 from King Fahd District. There is no direct Prophet’s Mosque to Quba regular bus — a common misconception — so plan the change.
• The Miqat (Dhul Hulayfah): three routes serve it — the route 130 from the Haramain station, the route 231 from Al-Faisaliyah and the route 291 towards the Industrial Cities.
• Uhud: the route 190 from Sayyid al-Shuhada Square, below the mountain.
• Qur’an Printing Complex: the route 230 from Al-Khandaq.
• Qiblatain Mosque: not served by a Madinah Bus route in the current scheme; the separate City Sightseeing bus covers it — do not wait for a Madinah Bus there.

📢 Announced, not yet running: the 300 Express

October 2026 expansion coverage announced a 300 Express route. It does not appear on the official Madinah Bus map, and no hours or frequency have been published for it, so — like every announced-but-unconfirmed service — it is not listed as a running route in this guide. When the official map adds it, this page and a dedicated route page will follow.

🧳 Practical tips

• Get the card on arrival. The SR 10 smart card from a station vending machine pays for itself in convenience on the first day; the app is the alternative.
• Night arrivals are covered. Five routes — 130, 150, 190, 191 and the airport 400 — run 24 hours; everything else stops at midnight and restarts at 06:00.
• Friday and prayer times. Buses around the Haram are busiest before and after prayers; the 15- and 20-minute frequencies absorb most of it, but leave margin for Maghrib and Jumu’ah.
• Ramadan. Service patterns change during Ramadan, with extra shuttles around Taraweeh; Ramadan shuttle services are seasonal extras, separate from the 15-route regular network listed here.
• Sightseeing is a different product. The City Sightseeing Madina bus (hop-on hop-off) is not part of Madinah Bus and does not take the smart card.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the bus fare in Madina?
SR 3.45 flat on every route since 1 October 2026, including the airport bus.

Which bus goes from Madina Airport to the Prophet’s Mosque?
Route 400 — limited-stop (6 stops), every 40 minutes, 24 hours a day, SR 3.45.

How do I get to Quba Mosque by bus?
Route 390 from King Fahd District. There is no direct Prophet’s Mosque to Quba regular bus.

Which Madinah Bus routes run all night?
Routes 130, 150, 190, 191 and 400 run 24 hours; the other ten run 06:00 to midnight.

How often do Madina buses run?
Every 15 minutes on routes 130 and 150, every 20 minutes on most routes, and every 40 minutes on the airport 400.

How do I pay for Madinah Bus?
With the Madinah Bus smart card (SR 10, from station vending machines) or through the Madinah Bus app.

Which bus serves the Haramain railway station?
Route 130 starts at the Haramain station and runs to the Miqat (Dhul Hulayfah).

Is there a bus to the Miqat?
Yes — routes 130, 231 and 291 all serve Dhul Hulayfah (the Miqat).

Does Madinah Bus go to Qiblatain Mosque?
No regular Madinah Bus route serves Qiblatain in the current scheme; the City Sightseeing bus covers it.

What is the 300 Express?
An announced October 2026 route that has not yet appeared on the official network map — treat it as forthcoming, not running.

Data: official Madinah Bus network map (Madinah Region Development Authority, madinahbus.mda.gov.sa), checked October 2026; fares as revised 1 October 2026. Independently compiled by the BusUpdate editorial team — confirm time-sensitive details with the operator before travelling.