Abu Dhabi to Dubai Private Transfer
Meet and greet at Zayed International Airport, or pickup from any Abu Dhabi hotel, home or office, straight to your Dubai address. One fixed price, tolls and waiting included.
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A private cab from Abu Dhabi to Dubai takes about an hour to an hour and a half. From Zayed International Airport (AUH), Dubai Marina is around 97 km and 55 minutes away, Downtown Dubai around 116 km and 1 hour 10 minutes. You get a fixed quote per car class, and it already covers meet and greet, flight tracking, tolls and VAT.
The usual trip is an AUH arrival heading for a Dubai hotel, or the drive back after a few days in the capital. We collect from the airport and from anywhere in Abu Dhabi, part of our chauffeur service across the UAE. Going the other way? See Dubai to Abu Dhabi private transfer.
Reviewed by Arshad Hussain, chauffeur operations specialist, dubai · Updated
Intercity transfer rates
All-inclusive: chauffeur, fuel, Salik tolls, airport parking, VAT (5%), bottled water and Wi-Fi. No surge pricing and no night surcharge. Send your pickup, drop-off and time on WhatsApp for a fixed quote in minutes.
| Vehicle class | Dubai ↔ Abu Dhabi | Dubai ↔ Sharjah |
|---|---|---|
| Business sedanMercedes E-Class, Lexus ES, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers | On Request | On Request |
| First-class sedanMercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 · up to 3 passengers | On Request | On Request |
| Luxury SUVGMC Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban · up to 6 passengers | On Request | On Request |
| Luxury vanMercedes V-Class, Hyundai Staria, Toyota HiAce VIP · up to 7 passengers | On Request | On Request |
| Ultra-luxuryRolls-Royce Ghost, Phantom, Cullinan, Bentley Flying Spur · up to 3 passengers | On Request | On Request |
Rates in AED, VAT included, updated 2026-09. Hourly bookings have a 3-hour minimum. Airport pickups include 45–60 minutes of free waiting. See all prices.
How much does a taxi cost from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
An Abu Dhabi taxi to Dubai runs on the meter. Airport taxis at Zayed International Airport charge an AED 20 flag fall plus AED 1.82 per km, which puts Dubai Marina (about 97 km) at roughly AED 200 and Downtown Dubai (about 116 km) at roughly AED 230, before tolls and waiting. Those are our estimates from Abu Dhabi Mobility’s published rates, not quoted fares. City taxis start lower, at AED 5 by day and AED 5.50 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the meter builds from there.
Here’s every way to make the trip, including two buses that leave from the airport itself.
| Option | Typical cost (one way) | Door to door? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi taxi (metered) | Roughly AED 200–230 from AUH, plus tolls (our estimate) | Yes | Standard car, meter runs in traffic |
| Etihad Shuttle | Free for Etihad-operated flights | No | AUH to Al Wasl Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, about 75 minutes. Book 24 hours ahead |
| Airport Express bus | Paid, check the airport website | No | AUH to Ibn Battuta Bus Station, hourly around the clock, about 1.5 hours |
| RTA intercity bus | AED 25 with a Nol card | No | Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station to Al Ghubaiba or Ibn Battuta |
| RTA intercity bus (E100 / E101) | AED 25 with a Nol card | No | Abu Dhabi to Al Ghubaiba or Ibn Battuta; the E102 airport route was reported suspended in mid-2026, so check the RTA app |
| Etihad Rail (from 30 September 2026) | From AED 39 | No | Mohamed bin Zayed City to Al Yalayis, about 57 minutes |
| Private transfer | Fixed, see the rate table on this page | Yes | Meet and greet, flight tracking, tolls and waiting included |
For more on fares between the two cities, read our Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi fare guide. Taxis from each emirate use their own meter rates, so the same trip can cost a little more one way than the other.
Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai: how the pickup works
Every airline at Zayed International Airport uses Terminal A, so there’s no question of which terminal. Pre-arranged transfers are met at the airport’s official meeting point in the arrivals hall; look for our chauffeur there, holding a board with your name. The car sits in the Short Stay Car Park straight across from the terminal.
- Send us your flight number and your Dubai address when you book.
- We track the flight. Delays and early landings move the pickup time automatically.
- The chauffeur is at the meeting point when you clear customs, takes the trolley and walks you across to the car park.
- Free waiting: 45–60 minutes after landing, enough for immigration and bags on a normal day.
- Straight to Dubai: water and Wi-Fi in the car. Need a SIM card or cash first? Tell the chauffeur and the car stops on the way.
Coming off a long-haul flight with family? Book an SUV or V-Class. A sedan takes two large cases, and a family’s luggage from a long trip rarely stops at two.
More on arriving at AUH and the onward options is in our guide to Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai.
Etihad chauffeur or your own booking?
Check your Etihad ticket before you book anything. Etihad includes a chauffeur between AUH and any address in the UAE for The Residence, First, and Business Comfort and Business Deluxe fares, plus some Etihad Guest members and award tickets. It covers Etihad-operated flights only and has to be booked at least 12 hours ahead. The Etihad Chauffeur reception at AUH is next to baggage belt 10.
| Etihad chauffeur | Tour Transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with eligible fares | Fixed price, all-inclusive |
| Book by | At least 12 hours before the flight | Any time we have a car free |
| Waiting | Driver waits up to 25 minutes | 45–60 minutes free after landing |
| Car choice | Set by Etihad | Sedan, SUV, V-Class or Rolls-Royce, your pick |
Book your own car when your fare isn’t on Etihad’s list, when a family needs an SUV or a van, when you want two cars, or when you’d like to stop somewhere in Abu Dhabi first. Our Etihad chauffeur service guide goes through the fare rules in detail.
How long is the drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
About 1 to 1.5 hours for most trips, depending on where you start in Abu Dhabi and where you’re going in Dubai.
| From | To | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zayed International Airport | Dubai Marina / JLT | About 97 km | About 55 minutes |
| Zayed International Airport | Downtown Dubai | About 116 km | About 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Zayed International Airport | DXB airport | About 128 km | About 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Abu Dhabi Corniche | Downtown Dubai | About 145 km | About 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Yas Island | DXB airport | – | About 75 minutes (Yas Island’s published directions) |
Times are for normal traffic. Coming into Dubai on a weekday between 4 and 8 p.m., the same hours Salik charges its peak rate, is when the extra time goes. For an evening flight out of DXB, give us the departure time and we set the pickup around it.
Hotel, Yas and Saadiyat pickups to Dubai
Pickups don’t have to be at the airport. A hotel lobby, a villa gate or an office tower works the same way.
Yas Island hotels
about 7 km from the airport and close to the main road out of the city. On Grand Prix weekend or a concert night at Etihad Arena, book the pickup for after the traffic clears, or earlier than the crowd.
Saadiyat Island
resorts and villas near the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The E12 gets you off the island without going through the city.
The Corniche and Emirates Palace
city-centre hotels. Allow a little more time to get off the island at rush hour.
Al Maryah, Al Reem and offices
end-of-meeting pickups. If you don’t know when the meeting ends, book waiting time and the chauffeur holds the car.
Homes in Khalifa City and Al Raha
already on the mainland, so a short run to the Dubai road.
Need a car for the day before you head back? See our limousine service in Abu Dhabi for hourly hire inside the city.
Where we drop off in Dubai
Any Dubai address. The common ones:
Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah
the first part of Dubai you reach from Abu Dhabi.
Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC
add around 10–15 minutes over the Marina time.
DXB airport
for an onward flight, send us the departure time and terminal and we work the pickup time back from it. The chauffeur drops at your terminal.
Deira, Mirdif and Sharjah
further east. Sharjah pickups and drop-offs are covered on our Sharjah chauffeur service page.
For DXB and DWC pickups on your way back out of Dubai, see Dubai airport transfers.
Abu Dhabi to Dubai Private Transfer: frequently asked questions
Book a private transfer with your flight number and Dubai address. The chauffeur tracks your flight, meets you in the Terminal A arrivals hall with a name board and drives you to your door. It takes about 55 minutes to Dubai Marina and about 1 hour 10 minutes to Downtown in normal traffic.
Only for Etihad passengers. The free Etihad Shuttle runs between AUH and Al Wasl Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, about 75 minutes, for travellers on Etihad-operated flights, and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead. Everyone else can take the paid Airport Express bus to Ibn Battuta Bus Station, which runs hourly around the clock.
For luggage, families or a fixed arrival time, a private transfer. For one traveller on a budget, the AED 25 intercity bus. Once Etihad Rail starts Abu Dhabi to Dubai services on 30 September 2026, the train is the fastest station-to-station option, but its stations are at Mohamed bin Zayed City and Al Yalayis, so you still need a car at each end.
Not with us. Our fixed price includes Darb in Abu Dhabi, including the Ghantoot gate on the E11 that has charged around the clock since May 2026, and Salik in Dubai. In a taxi, tolls are added to the meter; in a rental car, they’re billed to you afterwards.
Yes. One way is the standard booking on this route: AUH to a Dubai hotel, or an Abu Dhabi hotel to a Dubai home. The price is fixed for that trip and includes tolls, waiting after landing and VAT.
Book your chauffeur
Send your pickup, drop-off, date and time. We reply with a fixed, all-inclusive price, usually within minutes, 24 hours a day.