Abu Dhabi Airport (Zayed International, AUH) transfers
Assure arranges private transfers at Zayed International Airport (AUH), the Abu Dhabi airport. Your chauffeur waits in the Terminal A arrivals hall with a board showing your name, then drives you to Yas Island, Saadiyat, the Corniche, Al Ain or Dubai. Downtown Dubai is about 115 km away. Quotes come back on WhatsApp, 24/7.
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Where we meet you at AUH
Terminal A
- Meeting point
- Terminal A arrivals hall, after customs, holding a board with your name
- Car pickup
- Short Stay Car Park, directly opposite the terminal, a walk from arrivals with your chauffeur
- Good to know
- The Etihad hub and the passenger terminal at AUH since November 2023, built to handle up to 45 million passengers a year.
Your name on a board in arrivals
At Zayed International Airport (AUH), your chauffeur waits for you in the arrivals hall holding a board with your name, so there is no hunting for a car outside.
- Your flight is trackedAdd your flight number and the pickup follows your real landing time, early or late.
- Met in arrivalsYour chauffeur stands in the arrivals hall with your name on a board as you come out.
- Walked to the carHelp with your bags from the hall to the car waiting at the terminal.
Waiting time. Free waiting time after landing is confirmed with your quote.
Your chauffeur holds a board with your name in the Terminal A arrivals hall. VIP guests are welcomed personally by the chauffeur.
Your name here
Welcome to the UAE
VIP welcome
VIP guests are met and welcomed personally in arrivals, then walked to the car with their luggage.
Drive times from AUH
From the arrivals hall to any address in the UAE. Pick a city on the map to draw the road and see the distance.
From AUH to the cities
Pick a place on the map to draw the drive from AUH.
- Airport
- City
- Border
- Road we drive
Road distances from OSRM on OpenStreetMap, checked 17 October 2026. Times are without traffic or border queues. Not to scale.
Abu Dhabi airport and Zayed International are the same place
Abu Dhabi International Airport became Zayed International Airport on 9 February 2024. The code stayed AUH, so a ticket showing either name lands at the same terminal. Terminal A, the former midfield terminal, opened on 1 November 2023 and took over passenger flights during that month. It is the Etihad hub, built for up to 45 million passengers a year.
Where your chauffeur meets you in Terminal A
Once you clear passport control, collect your bags and pass customs, you walk into the Terminal A arrivals hall. Your chauffeur waits there with your name on a board, and VIP guests get a personal welcome from the chauffeur. The airport sends arriving passengers to the Short Stay Car Park directly opposite the terminal for collection, so that is where the car waits.
Our Terminal A arrivals guide follows the route from the gate to the hall.
After you land at AUH
- Give your flight number when you book. The pickup follows your real landing time, and the free waiting time is written into your quote.
- Clear customs and look for your name on a board in the arrivals hall.
- The chauffeur takes your bags across to the Short Stay Car Park.
- For a child seat, put the child’s age in your booking message. Seats are supplied on request.
Some premium airline tickets out of Abu Dhabi include a car to or from the airport, so check yours first. A separate car still helps when your group splits across two hotels or needs a 6-seat SUV or a van.
Who drives an AUH pickup
Drop-offs at Zayed International that start in Dubai run under Assure’s RTA licence. Pickups at Terminal A and trips that stay inside Abu Dhabi use a car available through our partner network, subject to availability, licensed for Abu Dhabi. Ask us to confirm the car for your date when you send your flight details.
Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai
From Terminal A, the drive to Dubai follows the E11 past Ghantoot, then Sheikh Zayed Road or the E311 inside Dubai, depending on traffic and your drop-off.
| Option | How it works | To your door |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer with Assure | Chauffeur in the arrivals hall, one car for the group and bags, price agreed on WhatsApp first | Yes |
| Airport Express shuttle bus | Listed by the airport, from Terminal A to Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai, with the timetable on the airport website | No, you go on from Ibn Battuta |
| Etihad coach | Free for passengers on Etihad-operated flights, booked 24 hours ahead, with a same-day AUH flight | No, it stops at a set point in Dubai |
| Metered taxi | From the Terminal A taxi rank at any hour, once the driver agrees the Dubai trip | Yes |
For a door-to-door price, send your landing time, flight number, passengers, bags and Dubai address on WhatsApp. The Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai guide compares the four options in detail. The same road in the other direction is on our Dubai to Abu Dhabi route page.
Distances from Terminal A
Each figure is an OSRM free-flow estimate on OpenStreetMap roads, averaged over both directions, so real journeys at rush hour run longer.
| From AUH to | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Yas Island | about 19 km | 23 min |
| Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi | about 40 km | 32 min |
| Abu Dhabi city centre | about 41 km | 34 min |
| The Corniche | about 45 km | 37 min |
| Expo City Dubai | about 90 km | 1 h 5 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 95 km | 1 h 3 min |
| Palm Jumeirah | about 101 km | 1 h 7 min |
| Downtown Dubai | about 115 km | 1 h 17 min |
| Dubai International (DXB) | about 131 km | 1 h 39 min |
| Al Ain | about 148 km | 1 h 32 min |
Yas Island is the closest drop-off, and its Yas Marina Circuit hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. For a day of meetings in the capital with the car waiting, see our chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi. Al Ain is reached on the E22 and has its own airport, renamed Tahnoun International in October 2026 and covered on our Al Ain airport (AAN) page. For the two island drop-offs in detail, read Abu Dhabi airport to Yas and Saadiyat.
Taxi or transfer at Zayed International
Official airport taxis wait at Terminal A 24 hours a day. Abu Dhabi Mobility publishes their tariff: AED 20 to start, AED 1.82 per km and 50 fils per minute of waiting, the same rate day and night. Payment works in cash, with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or PayBy, or by card through the Abu Dhabi Taxi app. Uber and Careem prices change with demand, so check the app for your address. Once in the capital, getting around Abu Dhabi covers local travel, and the Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi fare guide covers the intercity run.
| Metered taxi | Pre-booked transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting point | The taxi rank outside Terminal A | The arrivals hall, with your name board |
| Price | The meter, paid at your drop-off | Agreed on WhatsApp before you fly |
| Large groups | Several taxis, each on its own meter | One SUV, van or Sprinter for everyone |
Flying out of AUH from Dubai
Cars drop departing passengers in front of the Terminal A departures level. From Dubai Marina, allow about 1 hour 3 minutes without traffic on top of your airline’s check-in time. Our guide to getting from Dubai to Zayed International covers the bus and taxi options for the same trip.
What changes the quote for an AUH pickup or drop-off
- Where the trip ends: Yas, Abu Dhabi island, Al Ain or Dubai.
- The car class and how many cars your group needs.
- The date and time your flight lands or leaves.
- Stops between the airport and your drop-off.
Questions and answers
How much is a taxi from Abu Dhabi Airport to the city?
Airport taxis at Terminal A run on the Abu Dhabi Mobility meter around the clock: a starting charge of AED 20, then AED 1.82 per km and 50 fils per minute of waiting. The city centre is about 41 km away, so by our arithmetic the meter reads roughly AED 95 before any waiting. A private transfer is priced for the whole car on WhatsApp before you land.
How much does a taxi cost from Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai?
There is no set fare. The meter runs for the whole drive, about 95 km to Dubai Marina and 115 km to Downtown Dubai, so traffic on the E11 changes the total. The airport describes its taxis as serving Abu Dhabi destinations, so agree the Dubai trip with the driver first. For a known price, send Assure your flight, passengers, bags and Dubai address on WhatsApp.
How can I get a transfer from Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai?
Four ways. A pre-booked private car meets you in the Terminal A arrivals hall and drives to your door. The airport's Airport Express shuttle bus runs to Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai. Etihad passengers can book the airline's free coach a day ahead. Metered taxis wait outside Terminal A at any hour, once the driver agrees the Dubai trip.
Is there a free shuttle from Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai?
Only for Etihad passengers. Etihad runs a free coach to Dubai for travellers on Etihad-operated flights, booked at least 24 hours ahead, with a same-day flight at Zayed International. Everyone else can take the airport's Airport Express shuttle bus to Ibn Battuta Bus Station, with the timetable and fare on the airport website.
Are airport transfers cheaper than taxis?
Not always, and it depends on the group. A taxi charges by the meter for each car, so four adults with six suitcases may need two. A transfer is quoted for one car sized to the group, such as a 6-seat GMC Yukon or V-Class. For a solo traveller going to Yas Island, 19 km away, a taxi is often simpler.
Which is cheaper in Abu Dhabi, Uber or taxi?
It varies by time and demand. Uber and Careem prices move through the day, while airport taxis follow the fixed Abu Dhabi Mobility tariff, the same day and night. After you land, check the app price for your drop-off address and compare it with the meter estimate: the starting charge plus the per-kilometre rate for the distance.
Where does my chauffeur meet me at Zayed International?
In the Terminal A arrivals hall, once you are through passport control, baggage claim and customs. Your chauffeur holds a board with your name, helps with the bags and walks you across to the Short Stay Car Park opposite the terminal, which the airport uses for collecting arriving passengers. VIP guests are welcomed personally.
Can you drive me from Dubai to Zayed International for a flight?
Yes. Drop-offs at AUH that start in Dubai run under Assure's RTA licence. The car stops in front of departures at Terminal A. Downtown Dubai is about 1 hour 17 minutes away without traffic and Dubai Marina about 1 hour 3 minutes, so add that and a margin for the E11 to your check-in time.