By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Drive times from DXB to each northern emirate
The table uses DXB Terminal 1 as the start. Distances and free-flow times come from a routing service, checked on 17 October 2026. Real times depend on the hour.
| Destination | Distance | Drive time, no traffic | Typical allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjah (Al Majaz area) | about 13 km | 14 min | 25 to 45 min |
| Ajman Corniche | about 21 km | 25 min | 35 to 60 min |
| Umm Al Quwain | about 42 km | 42 min | 50 to 70 min |
| Ras Al Khaimah city | about 92 km | 64 min | about 1 h 15 |
| Al Marjan Island | about 75 km | 64 min | about 1 h 15 |
| Fujairah city | about 109 km | 78 min | 1 h 30 to 2 h |
| Khor Fakkan | about 121 km | 88 min | 1 h 40 to 2 h |
| Dibba | about 126 km | 93 min | 1 h 45 to 2 h |
The allowance column adds a margin for traffic and for the last stretch to a hotel door. It is our planning figure, not a measured one.
Which roads: Al Ittihad Road, the E311 or the E611?
Sharjah and Ajman are reached by Dubai’s northern roads, with Al Ittihad Road (E11) running along the coast. The E311, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, is the long inland highway to the north and carries most of the traffic to Ras Al Khaimah. The routing service sends the RAK trip on the E311 for about 74 km, then the E11 into the city.
Fujairah leaves the E311 early, takes the Sharjah to Kalba road, then the E102 Maliha Road, then the E84 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road. Khor Fakkan uses the E88 Dhaid Road.
The biggest variable is the evening queue on the roads from Dubai to Sharjah. See our Dubai to Sharjah guide before a late booking. The Salik gates at Al Garhoud and Al Mamzar sit on the Sharjah side of the city, and the Salik guide lists them.
Ras Al Khaimah resorts: Al Marjan, Al Hamra and Jebel Jais
Al Marjan Island is the closest RAK resort area from Dubai: about 75 km, 64 minutes without traffic. The RAK city centre is about 92 km. Jebel Jais is further on, in the Hajar Mountains. We have not timed the full route for this page, so our Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah guide is the one to read for the mountain road.
If you arrive in RAK directly, see the Ras Al Khaimah airport guide. RAK International is about 96 km from DXB by road.
Fujairah and the east coast: Dibba, Al Aqah and Khor Fakkan
The east coast sits on the Gulf of Oman, past the Hajar Mountains. Fujairah city is about 109 km from Terminal 1 and Khor Fakkan about 121 km. Dibba is about 126 km. Allow about 2 hours for any of them in daytime traffic.
Read Dubai to Fujairah for the full route, and the Fujairah airport guide if you are flying into the east coast.
Should you fly into SHJ or RKT instead?
Sharjah International (SHJ) is the better airport for Sharjah and Ajman. RAK International (RKT) is better for Al Marjan Island and Jebel Jais. DXB wins when your flight, not the hotel, decides: the airline schedule and the fare often matter more than 30 minutes of road.
To check the road from Sharjah airport the other way, see Sharjah airport to Dubai.
How do you book a transfer from DXB?
Airport transfers from DXB cover all of these routes. For longer runs, our intercity transfers set out the other options. Staying in Sharjah? See our chauffeur service in Sharjah. The UAE airports guide compares every airport in one place.
Photos in this guide
The Sharjah waterfront and city skyline across the waterThomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Palm-lined waterfront promenade and sea on Marjan Island, Ras Al KhaimahTashmetova808 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A road winding between the Hajar Mountains on the way to FujairahAleksandr Serebrennikov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Khor Fakkan from above, with its container port, beach and the mountains behindDalislema / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
