By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 7 min read
What does a three-day UAE roadshow look like?
A three-day roadshow gives each city one day: DIFC in Dubai on day one, ADGM in Abu Dhabi on day two and Ras Al Khaimah on day three. About 5 hours 30 minutes of that time sits in the car, split into three long legs. Investment firms that run this route need the car plan settled before the meeting plan.
| Day | City | Base | Main drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai | DIFC | DXB to DIFC, about 19 km, 31 min |
| 2 | Abu Dhabi | ADGM, Al Maryah Island | DIFC to ADGM, about 140 km, 89 min |
| 3 | Ras Al Khaimah | Al Hamra, Al Marjan Island | ADGM to Al Marjan Island, about 227 km, 158 min |
All times come from OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic, as of 25 October 2026. Add 30 to 60 minutes in weekday peaks as a planning allowance. For a deeper look at one leg, read our guides on a DIFC to ADGM meeting day and a business day in Ras Al Khaimah.
How is day one in Dubai planned?
Day one is the shortest drive and the best day to fix the delegation’s routine. Dubai International (DXB) is about 19 km and 31 minutes from DIFC without traffic. The Dubai peaks run about 6:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00, and TomTom names 5 pm as Dubai’s worst hour, so book the first meeting for mid-morning and the last for before 16:00.
DIFC has two Dubai Metro Red Line stations, Emirates Tower and Financial Centre. Visitor parking in the Gate district is barrier-free and ticketless, with payment linked to Salik. A chauffeur is more useful here than the metro, because the delegation carries papers and runs back-to-back meetings. Our DXB airport transfer page covers the arrival.
What happens on day two in Abu Dhabi?
The day-two drive from DIFC to ADGM on Al Maryah Island is about 140 km and 89 minutes. Leave by 06:30 to be at the first meeting by about 08:30, with a margin for the Dubai morning peak. Abu Dhabi’s Darb peak runs 7:00 to 9:00, and Dubai’s Salik peak runs until 10:00, so the early gates charge the AED 6 rate.
Tolls apply on this leg. Salik charges AED 4 to AED 6 per pass in Dubai, plus 5% VAT. Darb charges AED 4 per crossing, and the Ghantoot gate charges at every hour. Our Salik guide and Darb guide list the gates.
ADGM is on Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island, so confirm which one your meeting is on. A late finish crosses both evening peaks on the way back. That is why many roadshow plans stay overnight in Abu Dhabi. For local options in the capital, see our Abu Dhabi chauffeur service page.
Should the delegation stay in Abu Dhabi or return to Dubai?
Staying in Abu Dhabi is usually the better choice, and the driving totals show why. The two options cost almost the same in time.
| Option | Legs after day-two meetings | Driving without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| A: Stay in Abu Dhabi | ADGM to Al Marjan (158 min), Al Marjan to DXB (76 min) | about 5 h 23 min across days 2 and 3, including the 89 min DIFC to ADGM leg |
| B: Return to Dubai | ADGM to DIFC (89 min), DIFC to Al Marjan (75 min), Al Marjan to DXB (76 min) | about 5 h 29 min across days 2 and 3, including the 89 min DIFC to ADGM leg |
Option A removes a night drive after late meetings and saves one pack and unpack. Option B keeps one hotel for the whole trip and puts day three’s start 75 minutes from RAK instead of 158. Pick A when day two ends after 16:00, and B when the delegation wants a single base.
How is day three in Ras Al Khaimah planned?
Ras Al Khaimah is the longest leg if you start from Abu Dhabi. ADGM to Al Marjan Island is about 227 km and 158 minutes, so leave by 07:00 for a first meeting at about 10:00. From DIFC, the same trip is about 89 km and 75 minutes.
Within RAK the legs are short. Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra is about 10 km and 11 minutes. Al Marjan Island to Al Nakheel in the city is about 39 km and 40 minutes. RAKEZ lists six zones, with its head office in Al Nakheel and service centres in Al Hamra. Send your chauffeur the exact zone and building. Al Marjan Island is four man-made islands, Breeze, Treasure, Dream and View, about 4.5 km long, according to Visit Ras Al Khaimah.
The way out is simple: Al Marjan Island to DXB is about 86 km and 76 minutes. Leave RAK at least 3 hours 30 minutes before an international departure from Dubai, and plan more on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Our Ras Al Khaimah chauffeur service page covers local options.
How many cars does a delegation of 4, 8 or 15 need?
Size the cars by seats on meeting days and by large suitcases on transfer days. The seat and bag counts below come from Assure’s fleet data and are planning figures, not measured ones. Fleet ids refer to cars in the Assure fleet.
| Delegation | Meeting days | Transfer days (bags travel) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 1 Mercedes-Benz V-Class (mercedes-v-class, 6 seats), or 2 S-Class sedans (mercedes-s-class, 3 seats each) for principals travelling alone |
V-Class takes about 4 large suitcases, one per traveller |
| 8 people | 2 V-Class cars (12 seats), or 1 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 13-seat (mercedes-sprinter-13-seat) |
2 V-Class cars (about 8 large suitcases), or the Sprinter plus a gmc-yukon |
| 15 people | 1 Sprinter 19-seat (mercedes-sprinter-19-seat) |
Sprinter 13-seat plus 2 V-Class cars (25 seats, about 14 large suitcases, so share one case or add a fourth car) |
Two points hold across all sizes. A 19-seat Sprinter fits only about 3 large suitcases, so bags go in a second car. A principal who prefers privacy adds an S-Class or a BMW 7 Series (bmw-7-series) as a lead car. Our luggage capacity guide lists the counts per car, and the delegation transport guide covers convoy order for larger movements.
What does the three-day timetable look like on one page?
This is a sample for the stay-in-Abu-Dhabi option, on weekdays. Times are starting points, and the meeting hosts set the real ones.
- Day 1, morning. Pick up from DXB or the hotel. Meetings in DIFC from mid-morning, with the last one ending before 16:00.
- Day 1, evening. Dinner near DIFC or the hotel. Agree the 06:30 start and the Abu Dhabi hotel name with the chauffeurs.
- Day 2, 06:30. Depart for ADGM, about 89 minutes without traffic. First meeting at about 08:30.
- Day 2, afternoon. Meetings on Al Maryah Island, with a firm finish time. The team checks in at the Abu Dhabi hotel.
- Day 3, 07:00. Depart for Ras Al Khaimah, about 158 minutes without traffic. First meeting at about 10:00 in Al Hamra or on Al Marjan Island.
- Day 3, afternoon. Short hops inside RAK, then depart for DXB, about 76 minutes from Al Marjan Island, with the airport buffer in hand.
The gap between day two and day three is where a roadshow slips. Meetings that run late on day two push the 07:00 start, and the 158-minute leg has no easy shortcut. Build in a rest evening, even for a short delegation, and keep the final meeting of day two flexible.
What goes wrong on a roadshow, and how do you prevent it?
Most problems come from the same four places, and each has a fix that costs nothing.
- Addresses that are not addresses. RAKEZ is six zones, ADGM is two islands, and DIFC has a Gate District, Gate Village and Gate Avenue. Send the tower, floor and a phone number for every meeting.
- A peak that eats a meeting. A Dubai departure at 16:30 meets the Salik and TomTom peak. Move the last Dubai meeting earlier, or start the leg after 19:30.
- Luggage in the wrong car. A 19-seat Sprinter fits about 3 large suitcases. Put the bags in a separate car on transfer days.
- Toll surprises. Ask whether tolls are in the quote, since a three-city trip passes both Salik and Darb gates each way.
What does the contract cover?
A roadshow is a multi-day, multi-city booking. Ask for four things in the proposal: the cars and chauffeurs per day, the drivers’ overnight arrangement in Abu Dhabi, tolls included or extra, and a named contact on the day. See full-day chauffeur service for how a day booking works, and the corporate chauffeur page for accounts.
Your car comes from the Assure fleet or our partner network, confirmed when you book. Partner cars are available through our partner network, subject to availability. Send the delegation size, the cities and the meeting times, and the proposal confirms the mix for each day.
Photos in this guide
Aerial view of Ras Al Khaimah city and its mangrove creek, with a UAE flag on a tall pole in the foregroundStevenmccombe / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cars parked and moving beside Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, with the two Emirates Towers and other high-rises behindFrancisco Anzola / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Abu Dhabi towers lit up at night behind a hedge, a cycle lane and a long-exposure trail of car lightsSabithnav / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
