Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai: shuttle bus, taxi or private car compared

How far is Abu Dhabi Airport from Dubai?

The trip from Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai starts at Zayed International (AUH), on the mainland east of Abu Dhabi island, on the road towards Dubai. Distances below are by road from Terminal A, from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data, averaged over both directions.

From AUH Terminal A to	Road distance	Without traffic
Ibn Battuta	91 km	1 h
Dubai Marina	95 km	1 h 3 min
JBR	95 km	1 h 2 min
Palm Jumeirah, the trunk	101 km	1 h 7 min
Business Bay	114 km	1 h 16 min
Downtown Dubai	115 km	1 h 17 min
Deira	124 km	1 h 24 min
Dubai International (DXB)	131 km	1 h 39 min
Sharjah city	137 km	1 h 38 min

The OSRM route follows the E11: about 61 km on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street on the Abu Dhabi side, past Ghantoot, then Sheikh Zayed Road into Dubai. Weekday rush hours on both add time.

Is there a bus or free shuttle from AUH to Dubai?

Three coach options come up for this trip, each with its own rules on who can ride.

• Shuttle bus to Ibn Battuta. The airport lists an Airport Express shuttle bus between AUH and Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai. Air Arabia sells seats on a shuttle to Ibn Battuta Mall every hour from 00:00 to 23:00, AED 35 each, taking about 1 hour 30 minutes. You add it to an Air Arabia booking under Add Airport Services.
• Etihad premium cabins. Etihad’s UAE chauffeur, included with The Residence, First, Business Comfort and Business Deluxe tickets, goes from Zayed International to any UAE address, Dubai included. Book it at least 12 hours before the flight. The rules by fare are in our Emirates and Etihad chauffeur guide.
• Emirates coach. It runs from the Emirates office in Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi city, to DXB Terminal 3, for Emirates Economy and Premium Economy passengers. It does not leave from AUH.

Ibn Battuta is at the western end of Dubai. From there you continue by taxi or on the Dubai Metro Red Line, which has a station at Ibn Battuta. For buses between the two city centres, see our Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus guide. Rail plans between the cities are in our Etihad Rail guide.

How much is a taxi from AUH to Dubai?

Airport taxis wait at Terminal A around the clock and run on the meter. The airport describes them as a metered service to destinations within Abu Dhabi. Confirm at the rank that the driver will go to Dubai, and how the fare works.

Abu Dhabi Mobility’s airport tariff is AED 20 flag fall, AED 1.82 per kilometre and 50 fils a minute of waiting. If the meter runs at that rate, the totals before waiting time and tolls look like this.

AUH to	Road distance	Meter estimate, about
Ibn Battuta	91 km	AED 185
Dubai Marina	95 km	AED 195
Palm Jumeirah, the trunk	101 km	AED 205
Downtown Dubai	115 km	AED 230
Deira	124 km	AED 245

These figures are our arithmetic, not quotes. Since May 2026, a Darb toll gate at Ghantoot on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street charges AED 4 per crossing, 24 hours a day. Abu Dhabi Mobility names Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street as the alternative road. Salik gates inside Dubai add their own tolls, explained in our Salik tolls guide.

Bus vs taxi vs private car

	Shuttle bus	Airport taxi	Private car with Assure
Where it starts	Terminal A, at the operator’s stop	The taxi rank at Terminal A	The arrivals hall, chauffeur holding your name
Where it ends	Ibn Battuta, west Dubai	Your address, once the driver agrees the Dubai trip	Your door, with stops on the way if you ask
Time to Dubai Marina	About 1 h 30 to Ibn Battuta, then onward	About 1 h without traffic	About 1 h without traffic
How the price works	AED 35 a seat on Air Arabia’s shuttle	The meter, plus waiting and tolls	One price for the whole car, agreed on WhatsApp first
Luggage	Ask the operator	The boot of one car	A car sized to your bags, such as a V-Class with 4 large cases
Door to door	No	Yes	Yes

For one traveller with a cabin bag going to the Marina, the shuttle works. For a family with suitcases going to Downtown or Deira, one car door to door saves a change at Ibn Battuta.

How long the drive takes to the Marina, the Palm and Downtown

The further east your hotel, the longer the drive.

1. Ibn Battuta, Dubai Marina and JBR: about 1 hour without traffic. The first areas you reach on Sheikh Zayed Road.
2. Palm Jumeirah: about 1 hour 7 minutes to the trunk, and more for hotels out on the crescent.
3. Business Bay and Downtown Dubai: about 1 hour 16 minutes, 114 to 115 km.
4. Deira and DXB: 1 hour 24 to 1 hour 39 minutes, across Dubai Creek.

A flight into DXB would put Deira about 11 km from the terminal instead. Our guide to the UAE airports compares all seven, and the Sharjah airport to Dubai guide covers the third option for north Dubai. Flying into Al Ain instead? See the Al Ain airport guide.

Why do people fly into AUH for a Dubai trip?

• The airline. Etihad is based at AUH, so its flights land at Terminal A.
• West Dubai is an hour away. Dubai Marina and JBR are about 95 km from Terminal A.
• A stop on the way. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is about 29 km from the airport and Yas Island about 19 km. A private car can stop at either before Dubai.
• Events. Expo City Dubai is about 90 km from AUH, roughly 1 hour 5 minutes without traffic.

What happens between the gate and the arrivals hall is in our Terminal A arrivals guide.

Booking a private car from AUH to Dubai

Economy ticket, a group, or a stop at the Grand Mosque on the way? That is where a private car fits. To get a quote, message us on WhatsApp with four details:

1. Your flight number, so the pickup follows the real landing time.
2. How many passengers and large cases, so the car fits. A family of 6 with 4 cases fits one V-Class.
3. The Dubai address, plus any stop on the way.
4. Whether you also need the return trip to the airport.

We confirm the car and the whole-car price for your date. The chauffeur meets you with your name on a board, and the Abu Dhabi airport transfer page explains the pickup step by step. Every other UAE airport is listed under airport transfers.

Flying out of AUH later? The return from a Dubai hotel to Terminal A is a standard Assure run. The Dubai to Abu Dhabi route and the guide to getting from Dubai to Zayed International cover the road and how early to leave.