Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2027 transport: getting to Zayed Sports City from Dubai and around Abu Dhabi

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2027 runs 30 January to 6 February 2027 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, with the finals on Saturday 6 February at 5pm. From Dubai it’s a 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minute drive onto Abu Dhabi island. The public enters at Gate 6. Parking is plentiful; the timing of the drive home is what needs planning.

We run Dubai to Abu Dhabi chauffeur trips through tournament week and also pick up from homes and hotels inside Abu Dhabi. This guide covers the days, the gate, when to leave Dubai, and why tennis is the hardest sport to book a fixed return time for.

When is the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2027?

The official Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open site lists 30 January to 6 February 2027. It’s a WTA 500 tournament on outdoor hard courts, and the WTA’s 2027 calendar keeps it as the opening week of the February Middle East swing.

Edition	Dates	Venue	Status
2026	31 Jan – 7 Feb 2026	International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City	Played
2027	30 Jan – 6 Feb 2027	International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City	Confirmed by the organiser
2028	Not announced yet; usually late January to early February	Not announced	Based on the 2026 and 2027 editions

The organiser’s ticket page sets out how the week builds:

Day	Date	On court	Tennis Village opens
Saturday–Sunday	30–31 Jan	Opening weekend: qualifying, main draw from 31 Jan	10am
Monday–Wednesday	1–3 Feb	Main-draw rounds	10:30am
Thursday	4 Feb	Quarter-finals	10:30am
Friday	5 Feb	Semi-finals	3pm
Saturday	6 Feb	Finals, 5pm	12:30pm

Village opening times come from the tournament FAQ, which says they can change. Match times follow the daily order of play, so check it the evening before you travel.

Where is Zayed Sports City, and which gate do you use?

The International Tennis Centre sits inside Zayed Sports City in Al Rawdah, off Airport Road (Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street), near Al Noor Hospital and Carrefour. That puts it on Abu Dhabi island itself, which matters for the drive: unlike Yas Island events, you cross one of the bridges onto the island.

What the organiser publishes about arriving:

• Gate 6 is the public entrance. Gate 16 is for hospitality guests.
• Parking: Zayed Sports City has more than 7,000 spaces, according to the tournament FAQ. Overnight parking isn’t allowed.
• Hospitality parking: Courtside Hospitality tickets include dedicated parking, one pass per two tickets.
• Re-entry: you can leave and come back later with your ticket.

That last point is useful. Abu Dhabi residents can watch a day session, go home, and come back for the evening without buying twice.

How long is the drive from Dubai, and when should you leave?

From Dubai Marina it’s about 110 km to Zayed Sports City, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes in normal traffic. From Downtown Dubai or Business Bay it’s about 130 km and closer to 1 hour 30 minutes. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi distance and travel time guide breaks the drive down by hour and by area.

These leave-by times give you the drive plus about 30 minutes to park, walk to Gate 6 and find your seat:

You want to be there for	Leave Dubai Marina by	Leave Downtown or Business Bay by
Opening weekend, village opens 10am	8:15am	8am
Friday 5 Feb semi-finals, village opens 3pm	1:15pm	1pm
Saturday 6 Feb finals, 5pm	3:15pm	3pm
A weekday afternoon match	2 hours before	2 hours 15 minutes before

Two things slow the weekday trip. The bridge gates onto the island charge AED 4 per crossing at 7–9am and 3–7pm, Monday to Saturday, and nothing on Sundays, per Abu Dhabi Mobility’s Darb fees page. And the 3–7pm window is also when Abu Dhabi’s own evening traffic builds on Airport Road. For a weekday afternoon match, we’d rather leave Dubai before 1pm and have lunch near the venue than sit on the bridge at 4pm. In our cars the Darb and Salik tolls are part of the price.

Getting home after the last match

Here’s the problem with tennis transport. A football match lasts about two hours. A tennis match can be over in an hour or go three sets with a tie-break, and the last match on court starts whenever the one before it finishes.

So don’t book a car for a fixed time unless it’s the final, and even then allow for a long match and the trophy ceremony. What works better:

1. Keep the car on hourly hire. The chauffeur waits in the Zayed Sports City car park and you message when you’re walking out of Gate 6. Hourly hire with us has a 3-hour minimum, and there’s no night surcharge.
2. Agree the pickup point before you go in. Gate 6 at the end of an evening session is busy with taxis and ride-hailing cars. We’ll name a spot a short walk away so you’re not hunting for a plate number in the crowd.
3. Leave the drive home to the chauffeur. Back to Dubai Marina after 9pm usually takes about an hour, and the island bridges are toll-free after 7pm.

Day-return from Dubai or hourly in Abu Dhabi?

It depends on where you sleep.

Fans staying in Dubai usually book a day-return: one car, one chauffeur, Dubai to Zayed Sports City and back. For a finals day that’s six to eight hours door to door. Published Dubai rate cards (September 2026) put a business sedan with driver at AED 500–850 for a half day and AED 600–1,300 for a full day, and many operators add AED 125–200 when the car leaves Dubai. For two couples, a luxury SUV with chauffeur is the better car; there’s room for jackets and whatever you buy in the Mubadala Village.

Abu Dhabi residents and hotel guests need something shorter: a drop at Gate 6 and a pickup later, or a few hours of chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi covering the session plus dinner. We pick up across the city, from Saadiyat and Al Reem to Khalifa City and Al Raha.

Corporate hosts on Courtside Hospitality tickets come in through Gate 16, and the package includes parking passes. Send us the ticket type and we’ll plan the drop-off and waiting point around it. For a smart arrival, our limousine service in Abu Dhabi covers first-class sedans and Rolls-Royce.

Same week, same month: what else is on

Early February is busy. The UAE Tour Women runs 3–6 February 2027, inside tournament week, and in 2026 its Abu Dhabi stage route passed Zayed Sports City with rolling road closures through the afternoon. Our UAE Tour road closures guide tracks the stage routes as they’re published.

The tennis then moves on. The WTA’s 2027 calendar runs Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai in three consecutive weeks, so the Dubai Tennis Championships transport guide picks up where this one ends. Everything else on the winter calendar is in our Dubai events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2027?

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2027 runs from Saturday 30 January to Saturday 6 February 2027, according to the official tournament site. Opening weekend (30–31 January) covers qualifying, the quarter-finals are on 4 February, the semi-finals on 5 February and the finals at 5pm on 6 February. The 2028 dates haven’t been announced yet.

Where is the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open held?

It’s held at the International Tennis Centre in Zayed Sports City, Al Rawdah, Abu Dhabi, off Airport Road (Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street) near Al Noor Hospital. General ticket holders enter through Gate 6 and hospitality guests through Gate 16. The venue is on Abu Dhabi island, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Dubai Marina by car.

Is there parking at Zayed Sports City for the tennis?

Yes. The tournament FAQ says Zayed Sports City has more than 7,000 parking spaces, and overnight parking isn’t permitted. Courtside Hospitality tickets include a dedicated parking pass for every two tickets. With a chauffeur you skip parking altogether: you’re dropped near Gate 6 and the car waits in the car park until you’re ready.

How do I get from Dubai to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open?

Drive or take a chauffeur south on Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) to Abu Dhabi, cross onto the island and follow Airport Road to Zayed Sports City. Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes from Dubai Marina and 1 hour 30 minutes from Downtown. On weekdays, try to arrive before 3pm, when Darb tolls start and Abu Dhabi’s evening traffic builds.

Do children get in free at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open?

Children aged 12 and under get free entry on opening weekend, 30–31 January 2027, according to the tournament FAQ. On finals day, children under 2 can attend free when seated with a ticketed guardian; all other children need a ticket. Check the official site before you go, as ticket terms can change.