Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum, DWC) airport transfers

Where Al Maktoum International is

Al Maktoum International, also called Dubai World Central (DWC), sits in Dubai South in the south-west of the emirate, near Jebel Ali. It opened to passengers on 27 October 2013 as Dubai’s second airport. Dubai International (DXB) is about 61 km away by road.

We measured each distance below with OSRM, a free router that runs on OpenStreetMap roads. Each figure is the mean of the outbound and return trips, taken on 17 October 2026, with no traffic in the times. The Al Maktoum airport guide has more on the airport itself.

From DWC to	Road distance	Without traffic
Expo City Dubai	21 km	about 31 min
Jumeirah Golf Estates	30 km	about 41 min
Dubai Marina	32 km	about 38 min
Palm Jumeirah	38 km	about 42 min
Downtown Dubai	49 km	about 51 min
Dubai International (DXB)	61 km	about 1 h 10 min
Zayed International (AUH)	94 km	about 1 h 13 min
Central Abu Dhabi	118 km	about 1 h 24 min

Trips from DWC into the city use Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) or Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311). Your chauffeur picks between them by the traffic on the day, so the times above are the floor, not the forecast.

The DWC passenger terminal and who flies there

DWC has one passenger terminal. Dubai Airports opened its expanded version in 2018, with 24 boarding gates, 7 baggage reclaim carousels and 104 check-in desks. Dubai Airports also lists an expanded taxi and limousine staging area with pick-up and drop-off.

Dubai Airports says DWC handles seasonal charter and scheduled flights, plus cargo and general aviation. In 2024 the airport welcomed more than 1.1 million passengers, and Russia was its biggest market with 713,000 of them.

On 17 October 2026, the official DWC arrivals board listed flights by Aeroflot, Pobeda, Ural Airlines and UTair. Origins included Moscow, Krasnodar, Grozny, Makhachkala and Yekaterinburg. Check that your ticket says DWC and not DXB before you book the pickup.

Where your chauffeur meets you at DWC

After passport control, baggage reclaim and customs, you walk into the DWC arrivals hall. A board with your name marks your chauffeur in the crowd. For VIP guests the chauffeur makes the welcome in person and takes charge of the trolley from the hall to the car.

Dubai Airports says parking at DWC is free for all airport users, so your chauffeur parks and comes into arrivals rather than circling outside. While you wait at one of the 7 reclaim carousels, check WhatsApp for a message giving the chauffeur’s position in the hall.

• Flight tracking: DWC handles seasonal charters as well as scheduled flights, so send the flight number exactly as your ticket shows it. The chauffeur then works from the live landing time, not the printed one.
• Waiting time: your quote states how long the chauffeur waits free of charge once your DWC flight is on the ground.
• Child seats: on request. Give the age of each child, and the seat goes in the car before it leaves for Dubai South.

DXB to DWC connection transfers

Dubai Airports says guests travelling between DWC and DXB must clear passport control, collect their baggage and arrange onward transport. Its own suggestions are a Dubai Taxi or public transport via Ibn Battuta Metro Station. Either way you enter the UAE between flights, so your passport must qualify for entry or you need a visa first. Our guide to self-transfer connections between UAE airports explains the rules for a connection that crosses airports.

With Assure, your chauffeur meets you in arrivals at the first airport and drives you to departures at the second. The 61 km drive takes about 1 hour 10 minutes without traffic. Send both flight numbers when you book, and leave time for check-in and security at the second airport, because each airline sets its own check-in deadline.

Our page on Dubai International pickups by terminal covers where you are met at DXB Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

Taxis and buses at DWC

Dubai Airports names Dubai Taxi as the only taxi operator at both DXB and DWC. The DWC taxi page gives a starting fare of AED 25 from the airport and points arriving passengers to the official ranks or the Bolt app. Pink-roof taxis with female drivers are designated for ladies and families.

Two public bus routes serve DWC, each every 30 minutes, according to Dubai Airports:

• F55: DWC to EXPO Metro Station.
• N55: DWC to the Ibn Battuta bus and metro stations.

Buses take a Nol card only, with no cash fares. A private car with Assure has no meter: it is quoted on WhatsApp for your route from DWC and the car you choose.

Cars for DWC pickups

DWC is in Dubai, so pickups run in Assure’s own RTA-licensed cars.

Assure car	Passengers	Large bags
Lexus ES 300h	3	2
Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series	3	2
GMC Yukon or Cadillac Escalade	6	3
Mercedes-Benz V-Class	6	4
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter	13	6

For 4 to 6 passengers landing at DWC with checked cases, compare the Yukon and the Escalade on our luxury SUVs with a chauffeur page.

Events and venues near DWC

• Dubai Airshow: the show runs at the Dubai Airshow Site at DWC, and the organiser lists the next edition for 15 to 19 November 2027. Our Dubai Airshow chauffeur service covers the show days.
• Expo City Dubai: about 21 km from DWC by road. Our guide to parking zones and drop-off at Expo City Dubai explains where cars stop.
• Jumeirah Golf Estates: about 30 km from DWC, where the DP World Tour Championship is played. See our chauffeur service for the DP World Tour Championship.

Onward to Abu Dhabi from DWC

DWC is the Dubai airport closer to the capital. Zayed International (AUH) is about 94 km from DWC by road, against 131 km from DXB. Central Abu Dhabi is about 118 km from DWC, against 154 km from DXB. For the full route and its options, see our Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer.

Flying privately into DWC works differently from a scheduled arrival. See our private jet terminal pickups for how the handover works.

The planned move from DXB to DWC

On 28 April 2024, the Dubai Media Office announced approval of the designs for a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International. The release says the airport will have 5 parallel runways, 400 aircraft gates and capacity for 260 million passengers a year. It also says all DXB operations will transfer to DWC in the coming years.

A Dubai Media Office release on 15 June 2026 says the project is on course to start operations in 2032. It gives no date for moving DXB flights. Until one is announced, the airport code on your ticket tells your chauffeur where to meet you.

How to book a DWC pickup or a DXB to DWC connection

1. Message +971 56 684 8148 on WhatsApp, or fill in the trip ticket on this page, with your DWC flight number, landing time, head count, suitcases and where you are going. For a DXB connection, include the second flight and its departure time.
2. You get a quote back for that drive and the car that fits your group.
3. On landing day, the chauffeur sends a WhatsApp from the DWC arrivals hall saying exactly where to find the name board.