Dubai to Muscat bus: operators, tickets, border and travel time

Which buses run from Dubai to Muscat?

Three services link the UAE and Muscat by coach. Two of them start in Dubai and one starts in Sharjah.

Operator	UAE boarding point	Muscat end	What we could confirm
Mwasalat RTA	Dubai, confirm when booking	Muscat	Named by the German Embassy in March 2026
Al Khanjry Transport	Abu Hail, Deira	Confirm when booking	Named by the German Embassy in March 2026
Mwasalat route 203, with Sharjah RTA	Al Jubail bus station, Sharjah	Azaiba bus station	Timetable and fares published at launch in February 2024

The German Embassy notice of 2 March 2026 gave the Dubai fare as about AED 100 to 110. It named the two Dubai operators but not their departure times or the Mwasalat boarding point. Check both with the operator before you plan the day around them.

Don’t confuse these with the RTA’s Hatta Express. Route H02 runs from Dubai Mall to Hatta Main Bus Station in about 1 hour 30 minutes for AED 25 on a Nol card, according to Visit Hatta. It stops in Hatta and does not cross into Oman.

Where do they leave from, and how much are tickets?

The Sharjah service is the one with a full published timetable. Mwasalat and the Sharjah RTA launched it on 27 February 2024 as international line 203.

Direction	Departs	Arrives
Al Jubail, Sharjah to Azaiba, Muscat	6.30am	2.30pm
Al Jubail, Sharjah to Azaiba, Muscat	4pm	11.50pm
Azaiba, Muscat to Al Jubail, Sharjah	6.30am	3.40pm
Azaiba, Muscat to Al Jubail, Sharjah	4pm	1.10am

Times are from the Times of Oman launch report. At launch, the Sharjah RTA priced the trip at AED 100 single and AED 190 return. Mwasalat quoted the same service from OMR 10 one way and OMR 19 return.

Seats on the Muscat coach went first come, first served when Gulf News checked in 2023. It advised booking early and reaching the station 30 minutes before departure. Fares and timetables change, so confirm both with the operator on the week you travel.

How long does the bus take, including the border?

Plan on 7 to 8 hours from the UAE to Muscat. The Sharjah timetable allows 8 hours outbound and 9 hours 10 minutes on the way back. Gulf News described the daily Muscat coach as about 7 hours, longer when the border is busy.

The road itself is shorter than that suggests. On OSRM figures, Downtown Dubai to central Muscat is 409 km, about 4 hours 45 minutes without traffic, through the Hatta crossing. Sharjah to Muscat through the Khatmat Malaha crossing on the Kalba coast is 413 km and about 4 hours 45 minutes.

The gap is time at the two border posts, where every passenger is processed, plus stops along the way. The Sharjah service runs by way of Shinas, on the Omani coast south of Khatmat Malaha.

What happens at the border when you travel by bus?

Every coach stops twice: at the UAE exit post, then at the Omani entry post. The Sharjah line 203 crosses at Khatmat Malaha, south of Kalba. Coaches using the Hatta road cross at Hatta on the UAE side and Al Wajajah on the Omani side.

1. UAE exit. Officers check each passport and the UAE stamps you out. Gulf News reports an exit fee of AED 35. In 2023 it said the fee was paid by credit or debit card at the post.
2. Oman entry. Each passenger shows a passport and an Oman visa or proof of visa-free entry. In March 2026 the German Embassy reported visas on arrival being issued at the border, but advised getting the eVisa first.
3. Customs. Bags may be inspected before the coach continues to Muscat.

Oman’s land crossings are for vehicles only, so nobody walks across between the two posts. Our Hatta border crossing guide goes through both posts on the Hatta road step by step.

What to carry for the border

• A passport valid for at least 6 months, which Oman’s exemption requires.
• Your Emirates ID, if you live in the UAE.
• A printed Oman eVisa, if your passport needs one.
• For visa-free entry, the return bus ticket, a hotel booking and health insurance, which are conditions of Oman’s 14-day exemption.
• A debit or credit card for the exit fee and any visa fee.

The Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out which passports are exempt. UAE residents should read our guide to the Oman visa for UAE residents, because the rules turn on nationality and on the profession printed on the Emirates ID.

Taking the bus from Abu Dhabi or Sharjah

Sharjah. Line 203 from Al Jubail is the published option, with two departures a day in each direction. Its route through Khatmat Malaha is also the nearer crossing for Sharjah, at 124 km from the city by road.

Abu Dhabi. We found no official timetable for a direct Abu Dhabi to Muscat coach when we checked on 17 October 2026. Most travellers ride to Dubai or Sharjah first. By car, Abu Dhabi to Muscat is about 517 km through the Mezyad and Hafeet crossing south of Al Ain, roughly 5 hours 40 minutes without traffic. Our guide to every UAE and Oman crossing covers Mezyad and the other posts.

Ras Al Khaimah to Khasab. This one goes to Musandam, not Muscat. RAKTA runs it from Friday to Sunday at 8am and 6pm, for AED 50 one way and AED 100 return. It stops at Al Rams, Sha’am and Tibat, and takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. For a day on the water instead, see our Musandam trips from Dubai.

Luggage, children and night departures

Luggage. Mwasalat announced 7 kg of hand baggage and 23 kg checked for the Sharjah route. That is one standard suitcase each. Ask about prams, golf bags and boxes before you buy the ticket.

Children. Every child needs their own passport and Oman entry rights. Oman’s exemption covers spouses and children travelling with an eligible visitor, even on a different passport. RAKTA’s Khasab bus lets children under 3 ride free. We did not find a published child fare for the Muscat routes.

Night departures. The 4pm from Sharjah reaches Azaiba at 11.50pm. The 4pm from Muscat reaches Al Jubail at 1.10am. Arrange the last leg to your hotel or home before you board, because both arrive after most families want to be standing at a bus station.

Visitors on a UAE tourist visa. GDRFA Dubai describes its single-entry tourist visa as a visa for one visit. If you plan to come back to the UAE by bus, sort out a multiple-entry visa or a new visa first.

Bus or private car: cost per person for families and groups

The bus is priced per seat and the car per vehicle. That changes the sums as the group grows. These bus totals use the AED 100 single fare published for the Sharjah route.

Travellers	Bus fares, one way	Private car
1	AED 100	One quote for the car
2	AED 200	One quote for the car
4	AED 400	One quote for the car
6	AED 600	One quote for the car
10	AED 1,000	One quote for a Sprinter

The car is quoted per trip on WhatsApp, so we can’t give a fixed figure here. What moves it: one way or return, waiting days in Muscat, a second driver for a same-day return and the vehicle size. A one-way trip still has an empty 409 km drive back to Dubai for the car.

What the car changes on the day:

• Door to door. Pickup at your Dubai address and drop-off at a Muscat hotel, Muscat International Airport or Muttrah, with no station at either end.
• Your departure time. Leave at 4am for a morning meeting, or stop for lunch in Sohar on the way.
• Bags. A Mercedes V-Class seats 6 with 4 large cases, a GMC Yukon 6 with 3, and a 13-seat Sprinter takes 6 large cases.
• The border. The chauffeur carries the car’s papers and Oman insurance, so you show only passports and visas.

The bus suits one or two people travelling light who don’t mind a fixed timetable. Families, small groups and anyone with a tight connection usually end up comparing it with our private Dubai to Muscat transfer. For groups larger than a van, see our van and group transport options.

Other ways to make the trip

If you want to drive yourself, our Dubai to Muscat by road guide covers the route, stops and car papers. Every Oman city and crossing we serve is on our Oman transfers page, and trips inside the UAE are under intercity transfers. For the wider picture of road trips out of Dubai, start with our road travel from Dubai guide.