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Cruise terminal transfers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Assure drives cruise passengers between Dubai's two cruise terminals, Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port, the airports and hotels. Your chauffeur meets you outside the terminal with a board showing your name. Mina Rashid is about 16 km from DXB, and Dubai Harbour about 33 km. Send your ship and date on WhatsApp.
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On this page
- Which terminal does your ship use?
- Drop-off points and taxis at each terminal
- Mina Rashid: the cruise port closest to DXB
- Where is the Dubai Harbour cruise terminal?
- Abu Dhabi’s cruise terminal at Zayed Port
- Sir Bani Yas and Khor Fakkan
- When is cruise season in the UAE?
- Luggage on embarkation and disembarkation days
- Shore days by private car
- How to book a port pickup
Which terminal does your ship use?
Dubai has two cruise ports, Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, and Abu Dhabi island has one, at Zayed Port. Your cruise ticket names the port. The drive times below are without traffic, from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data.
| Terminal | Where it is | Owner or operator | To DXB | To Zayed International (AUH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid | Port Rashid, at the northern end of Bur Dubai | DP World | about 16 km, 25 min | about 125 km, 1 h 30 min |
| Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal | Marsa Dubai, between Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah | Shamal Holding | about 33 km, 35 min | about 96 km, 1 h 4 min |
| Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port | Al Mina, on the north-east side of Abu Dhabi island | AD Ports Group | about 150 km, 1 h 42 min | about 42 km, 34 min |
DXB times are to Terminal 1. Terminal 3, used by Emirates, adds about 1 km and a few minutes from either Dubai terminal.
On a port day, see our guide to Dubai cruise shore excursions and the Dubai to Khor Fakkan drive.
Drop-off points and taxis at each terminal
DP World, Dubai Harbour and AD Ports listed no car drop-off or pickup point for cruise passengers when we checked in October 2026. On docking day, your chauffeur sends the exact spot on WhatsApp in the morning.
| Terminal | Taxis |
|---|---|
| Mina Rashid | Metered RTA taxis, with their own Port Rashid starting fare at any hour and a fee for entering the port area |
| Dubai Harbour | The RTA fare page lists no separate Dubai Harbour tariff |
| Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port | Not covered in AD Ports’ cruise announcements; ask your cruise line |
Mina Rashid: the cruise port closest to DXB
Mina Rashid sits at Port Rashid, on the Bur Dubai shore close to the mouth of Dubai Creek. DP World runs the port and says it can take 7 cruise ships, or up to 27,000 passengers, at the same time. Its main building is the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal. Mina Rashid has run homeport sailings since 2007, and DP World puts its traffic at about 1 million passengers a year.
The 2023 to 2024 Dubai season opened here on 28 October 2023, when TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 2 docked. Lines that homeported in Dubai that season included MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, AIDA, Costa and Ponant. Your ticket shows which Dubai terminal your sailing uses.
| From Mina Rashid to | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai | about 13 km | 21 min |
| DXB Terminal 1 | about 16 km | 25 min |
| DXB Terminal 3 | about 17 km | 29 min |
| Sharjah city | about 27 km | 34 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 31 km | 34 min |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 64 km | 1 h 5 min |
| Zayed International (AUH) | about 125 km | 1 h 30 min |
The car to DXB follows Jumeirah Street onto Sheikh Rashid Road, then Casablanca Road to the terminals. For a flight the same day, this is the closest cruise terminal to the airport, and our page on DXB airport pickups and drop-offs covers each terminal there. Our guide to the Mina Rashid cruise terminal walks through the port itself.
Where is the Dubai Harbour cruise terminal?
Dubai Harbour opened as a cruise terminal in 2021 on the peninsula off Marsa Dubai, facing Dubai Marina and JBR. Shamal Holding owns it. The Dubai Media Office reported 300,000 passengers there in the 2022 to 2023 season, about four times its first season.
Cars reach the terminal from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street. In June 2024, RTA awarded a 1,500 m bridge from the fifth interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the American University in Dubai, straight to Dubai Harbour Street. Your chauffeur picks the faster way in on the day.
| From Dubai Harbour to | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina | about 2 km | 6 min |
| Palm Jumeirah | about 8 km | 13 min |
| Downtown Dubai | about 21 km | 23 min |
| DXB Terminal 1 | about 33 km | 35 min |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 35 km | 39 min |
| Zayed International (AUH) | about 96 km | 1 h 4 min |
DXB and DWC are almost the same drive from here, 35 to 40 minutes each. Check which airport your flight leaves from before you book the car. Read our guide to Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the terminal’s layout and parking.
Abu Dhabi’s cruise terminal at Zayed Port
AD Ports Group opened the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port in December 2015. In 2023, AD Ports listed restaurants, duty-free shops, Etihad check-in and baggage storage inside it. Ask your cruise line whether Etihad check-in is open on your date, since it lets you drop your bags before the drive to the airport. For the 2023 to 2024 season, AD Ports planned 126 calls at the terminal.
| From Zayed Port to | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Central Abu Dhabi | about 10 km | 12 min |
| Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque | about 19 km | 19 min |
| Yas Island | about 28 km | 24 min |
| Zayed International (AUH) | about 42 km | 34 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 119 km | 1 h 16 min |
| Downtown Dubai | about 138 km | 1 h 29 min |
The road to the airport crosses Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and follows the E12 past Saadiyat and Yas. Drop-offs at Zayed Port that start in Dubai run in Assure’s own cars. Pickups here come through our partner network, subject to availability. Flying out of the capital after your cruise? See our page on Zayed International transfers for Terminal A. Our guide to the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal covers the building and the island around it.
Sir Bani Yas and Khor Fakkan
Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach is an AD Ports stop on Sir Bani Yas Island, in the Al Dhafra region west of Abu Dhabi city. A jetty opened in February 2022 lets two ships berth at once, and AD Ports planned 63 calls there for 2023 to 2024. Before that, tender boats ran passengers from ships anchored about 1 km offshore. Passengers spend the day on the beach and reboard, so it is not a pickup point. If your cruise starts or ends in Abu Dhabi, book the car from Zayed Port.
Khor Fakkan is a Sharjah town on the east coast, about 30 km north of Fujairah city by road. If your itinerary calls there, Downtown Dubai is about 132 km away, around 1 h 40 min without traffic. The route climbs Khor Fakkan Road through the mountains, then joins Emirates Road and Al Awir Road into Dubai. A pickup at Khor Fakkan needs a car licensed in Sharjah, which we arrange through our partner network, subject to availability. The Khor Fakkan cruise port guide covers the town and the port.
When is cruise season in the UAE?
The season opens at the end of October. In 2023, Dubai’s first ship docked on 28 October, Sir Bani Yas took its first call on 31 October and the Zayed Port terminal began its calls on 1 November. DP World says peak-season ships stay at Mina Rashid until April, and that some ships also call during the summer. Go by your sailing date, not the month.
Luggage on embarkation and disembarkation days
Cruise luggage decides the vehicle more than the head count does. Add up the large cases for the whole party, cabin bags aside, then match the total to a vehicle.
- A Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats 6 with room for 4 large cases.
- A GMC Yukon or a Kia Carnival seats 6 with 3 large cases.
- A 13-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter takes 6 large cases with every seat in use.
- When the cases outnumber the space, book a second vehicle for the luggage.
Families travelling together and tour groups can compare vans and minibuses on our group transport page.
Shore days by private car
On a port day in Dubai, a private car with a chauffeur turns the call into a city tour on your own schedule. From Mina Rashid, Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa are about 21 minutes away. See the stops on our Dubai city tour, or compare the options on our shore excursions page.
In Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is about 19 minutes from Zayed Port and the Corniche is closer still. Ask for the Abu Dhabi city tour by private car with a pickup at the terminal, subject to a partner car being free. Agree a return time with your chauffeur that leaves at least an hour before the ship’s all-aboard time.
How to book a port pickup
Send these on WhatsApp or in the trip form:
- The ship’s name, the terminal and the docking date.
- The time you expect to leave the ship, or the start time for an embarkation drop-off.
- Passengers, large cases and any child seats.
- Where you are going: the airport and flight time, a hotel, a tour or another emirate.
You get one quote for the vehicle. On the morning your ship docks, the chauffeur messages you on WhatsApp with the waiting point outside the terminal.
Photos. The Al Reem Island towers across the water from Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, with a cargo ship at the quay: Eduard Marmet / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
What sets the price
Every quote is made for your trip, so no rate card. These are the things it depends on.
- The cruise terminal and the drop-off, whether an airport, a hotel or another emirate
- How many cases your group carries, which can mean a larger van or a second vehicle
- The docking date and the time you leave the ship
- Hours booked for a shore day or a city tour on the way to the airport
- Pickups at Zayed Port and Khor Fakkan, which come through our partner network
Questions and answers
Where is the Dubai Harbour cruise terminal?
On the Dubai Harbour peninsula in Marsa Dubai, between Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah. Cars reach it from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street. Dubai Marina hotels are about 2 km away, around 6 minutes by car. It is a different terminal from Mina Rashid, about 30 km up the coast, so check the port name on your cruise ticket.
How far is Port Rashid from DXB?
About 16 km by road from the Mina Rashid cruise terminals to DXB Terminal 1, roughly 25 minutes without traffic. Terminal 3, the Emirates terminal, is about 17 km and 29 minutes away. The usual road runs along Sheikh Rashid Road and Casablanca Road. Weekday rush hours add time, so leave a margin before a flight.
Can you pick up at the ship?
Not at the gangway. You leave the ship and walk through the terminal building, with your bags, before you reach the public side. Your chauffeur waits there with a board showing your name. The waiting point depends on the terminal and the day's berth, so the chauffeur confirms it on WhatsApp on the morning your ship docks.
Which cruise terminal will my ship use?
Your cruise ticket and the line's itinerary name the port. Dubai has two cruise terminals, Mina Rashid by Bur Dubai and Dubai Harbour by Dubai Marina, about 30 km apart. In Abu Dhabi, ships berth at Zayed Port on the island. Send us the ship's name and the date, and we check the terminal before quoting.
How early should I leave the ship for a flight from DXB?
Work backwards from take-off. Dubai Airports advises arriving 3 hours before your flight. Add the drive: about 25 to 30 minutes from Mina Rashid or 35 to 40 minutes from Dubai Harbour, without traffic. Then add your cruise line's disembarkation window, which the line sets. Book the car for the time your group is called off the ship.
Can we see the city between the ship and the airport?
Yes. Book the car by the hour, and the chauffeur drives you around the city before the airport drop-off. Tell us how many large cases you have, so the vehicle has room for the luggage during the tour. From Mina Rashid, Downtown Dubai is about 13 km away. From Zayed Port, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is about 19 km.
Do you cover Abu Dhabi and Khor Fakkan cruise calls?
Drop-offs at Zayed Port that start in Dubai run in Assure's own cars under our RTA licence. Pickups at Zayed Port and at Khor Fakkan need a car licensed in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. We arrange those through our partner network, subject to availability, and confirm the car with your quote.