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darb Card — Top-up and Balance

The darb card for public transport in Riyadh: what it costs, where to buy it, how to top it up, how to check your remaining balance, and how long it is valid.

SAR 10

Card price

SAR 5

Minimum balance to enter

SAR 5 – SAR 200

Top-up limits

5 years

Validity

What is the darb card?

The darb card is the official public transport card of Riyadh: a contactless smart card that you load with credit and use at metro gates and on buses alike — one system for every public transport mode in the city, run by the Riyadh Public Transport Authority under that same “darb” brand.

The card costs SAR 10, and it must be loaded with at least SAR 5 before you can pass the gates — that is SAR 15 the first time. It is valid for 5 years, and it can be recharged without limit as long as it is undamaged.

When you tap the card at a gate, your balance is debited the price of a time-based ticket — the two-hour ticket at SAR 4 in Regular class — which lets you travel without limit on the metro and buses for as long as it lasts. In other words, you are charged once per ticket, not per ride.

darb card

Riyadh's official public transport card — metro and buses
Card priceSAR 10
Minimum balance to pass the gateSAR 5
First purchaseSAR 15
Minimum top-upSAR 5
Maximum top-up (per transaction)SAR 200
Validity5 years
Appdarb

How to get a darb card

1

Go to any metro station

The card is issued at the station: from a ticket vending machine (TVM) or at a ticket office.

2

Ask for a darb card and pay for it

The card costs SAR 10. The machines take cash in notes only, plus mada cards and credit cards.

3

Load it with SAR 5 at minimum

You will not get through the gate with less than that. So your first purchase costs SAR 15 at minimum.

4

If you are in a category eligible for the discount — ask for a registered card

A 50% discount for students, seniors (60+), people with disabilities and their companions, cancer patients and their companions, and families of martyrs. The discount is granted when a registered card is first issued at a ticket office with proof of eligibility — you cannot get it with an ordinary card from a machine.

How to top up a darb card

A darb card can only be topped up at a station — at a ticket vending machine or a ticket office. These are the official channels.

Where to top up the card

  • Ticket vending machines (TVMs) at any metro station
  • Ticket offices at metro stations and bus stations

Accepted payment methods

  • Cash — notes only (the machines take no coins)
  • mada, or a credit card (Visa / Mastercard)
Top-up limits: from SAR 5 to SAR 200 per transaction, and you can top up as often as you like as long as the card is undamaged.
You cannot top up a darb card in the app. The Riyadh Public Transport Authority states explicitly that the card can only be topped up at a ticket vending machine (TVM) or a ticket office in the stations. The darb app sells electronic QR-code tickets — a separate product that has nothing to do with the card balance. If you find a website offering to top up your darb card online, treat it with great caution.

How to check your darb card balance

Ticket vending machine (TVM) — the clearest way

Tap your darb card on the machine in any metro station; the screen shows your remaining balance, and you can top up right there if you want. It is the same screen the official top-up is done on.

Ticket office

The staff at the office in a metro station or a bus station can look up your card balance and top it up for you.

Call centre 19933

Riyadh Public Transport Authority customer service is available around the clock, and it is the official reference for any question about your card, its balance or a refund.

Important: as of the date this page was updated, the Riyadh Public Transport Authority publishes no official way to check a darb card balance in the app or on the website, and the app's description in the app stores does not mention a balance-enquiry feature. So we have kept to the channels that can actually be verified: the machine, the office and the call centre. If an official balance enquiry is launched, we will update this page immediately.

darb card balance tracker

Because the balance only shows at a station, this tool lets you keep track of it yourself between trips: enter the balance you last read, then deduct a ticket each time you use the metro. Everything is stored in your own browser — nothing is sent to us or to the Riyadh Public Transport Authority.

darb card balance
— SAR

Recent activity

    🔒 Your balance and history are stored in your browser alone (localStorage). Nothing is sent to us or to the Riyadh Public Transport Authority. This is a personal helper, not an official darb balance enquiry.

    Information notice. We update this site whenever Riyadh Metro timings, fares or lines change, and whenever there is a disruption. Bookmark riyadhmetro.org and check this page before you travel — we publish any change as soon as we know about it.
    🔖

    Bookmark this site before your next trip

    We update riyadhmetro.org as soon as anything changes — a shift in operating hours, a service disruption, a change in ticket prices or any important announcement from the Riyadh Public Transport Authority. Save this page to your bookmarks and check it before you travel so you always have the latest information.

    Frequently asked questions

    SAR 10 is the price of the card itself, and it must be loaded with SAR 5 at minimum when it is issued — that is SAR 15 on the first purchase.
    At a ticket vending machine (TVM) in any metro station, or at a ticket office in metro and bus stations. The minimum top-up is SAR 5 and the maximum is SAR 200 per transaction. The darb app does not top up the card — this is stated officially and explicitly by the Riyadh Public Transport Authority.
    No. The Riyadh Public Transport Authority states explicitly that the darb card can only be topped up at a ticket vending machine or a ticket office in the stations. The app sells electronic QR-code tickets, which are a separate product from the card balance.
    Tap the card on a ticket vending machine (TVM) in any station and it will show the balance, or ask at a ticket office. The Riyadh Public Transport Authority has so far published no official way to check the balance in the app or on the website, so we suggest reading your balance at the station and noting it down — and you can use the balance tracker on this page to follow it yourself.
    5 years from the date of purchase.
    No. The machines take notes only, plus mada cards and credit cards.
    Not necessarily. You can buy an electronic ticket in the darb app and enter with a QR code. The card suits frequent travel, and anyone who wants the 50% discount for eligible categories — the discount is granted when a registered card is issued at a ticket office with proof of eligibility.
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