If you're not pressed for time and you don't have a car, the bus is a pretty good option. Service taxis go to most of the same destinations as buses for around the same price, but don't run to a timetable. Saudi Arabia has the only stretch of railway track in the entire Arabian peninsula - one line from Riyadh to Dammam, via Hofuf and Abqaiq. Trains run three times a day. If you plan to drive, a western driving license is acceptable.
Rental rates are government controlled and comparable to rates in the West.
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