Sharjah Airport to Dubai: every option compared, from coach to private car

Is Sharjah Airport far from Dubai?

Sharjah Airport gives its location as 13 km south-east of Sharjah city and 15 km from central Dubai. By road, the distance depends on where in Dubai you stay. Al Qusais, on the Sharjah border, is a 22-minute drive without traffic. Palm Jumeirah is nearly an hour.

From SHJ to	Road distance	Without traffic
Al Majaz, Sharjah	about 19 km	20 min
Al Qusais, Dubai	about 22 km	22 min
Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3	about 23 km	22 min
Dubai Festival City	about 29 km	25 min
Deira, at Al Rigga	about 31 km	27 min
Bur Dubai, at Al Fahidi	about 34 km	32 min
Downtown Dubai	about 39 km	34 min
Business Bay	about 41 km	36 min
Al Barsha, by Mall of the Emirates	about 53 km	45 min
Dubai Marina	about 58 km	50 min
Palm Jumeirah, at Atlantis	about 62 km	56 min
Al Maktoum International (DWC)	about 77 km	1 h 8 min

Distances and times are OSRM route planner averages on OpenStreetMap data, taken in both directions on 17 October 2026.

The usual route leaves the airport on Al Dhaid Road (E88) and joins Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) into Dubai. For Deira, it turns off onto Al Khawaneej Road and then Airport Road. For Downtown, it crosses over to Al Khail Road, and for the Marina it carries on down Sheikh Zayed Road. Al Ittihad Road (E11) is the other way in when the E311 backs up.

Coach, taxi or private car from SHJ

Three ways into Dubai start at the terminal. The right one depends on your bags, your group and where you are staying.

	Air Arabia coach	Sharjah Taxi	Private car with Assure
Dubai end	Al Ghurair Centre, Deira	Your address	Your address
Hours from SHJ	8am to 11.30pm	24 hours	Any hour, booked ahead
Price	AED 20 single fare	The meter, plus the airport surcharge and tolls	One quote for the whole car
Luggage	Coaches carry baggage trolleys	What fits in one taxi	A car or van sized to your cases
Where it starts	The airport coach service	Ranks at the arrivals level	The meet and greet area in arrivals

The coach suits one or two people with light bags who are staying in Deira. Coaches run towards the airport from 10.30am to 11.30pm, so the same service works for the return. Air Arabia also runs coaches from SHJ to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah.

How much is a taxi from Sharjah Airport to Dubai?

Sharjah Taxi runs from the airport 24 hours a day, with metered fares and ranks at the arrivals level. Sharjah Airport adds an AED 20 surcharge on every trip that starts at the airport. The Sharjah RTA says the meter starts at AED 20 for trips to Dubai, and the passenger pays the toll gates.

These two rules come from separate official pages. Ask the driver at the rank how both apply to your fare before you leave. If the route passes Dubai’s Salik gates, our Salik toll guide explains how those charges reach the fare.

Ladies-only and family taxis also serve the airport, and Sharjah Taxi runs a limousine service from outside arrivals. You can book a Sharjah taxi on 600 525 252.

The return trip works differently. A Dubai taxi going to Sharjah adds a fee for entering Sharjah under the RTA fare formula. Our guide to Dubai airport taxi fares covers the same questions at DXB.

How rush hour changes the drive

The table times only hold outside the commute. On 2 May 2026, Khaleej Times reported Sharjah and Dubai roads slowing by 7.30am. A commuter from Al Nahda in Sharjah to Al Quoz described a 30 to 35 minute drive now taking close to an hour.

A taxi driver in the same report put his Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Ittihad Road trips at 30 to 40 minutes off-peak. At peak times they ran beyond an hour. Another driver said the run back towards Sharjah via Al Khail Road and Infinity Bridge took over an hour on some days.

For a morning landing at SHJ with a Dubai Marina hotel, plan on close to double the table time. For an evening flight out of SHJ from Dubai, give the pickup time an extra hour of margin.

Arriving on Air Arabia: the SHJ arrivals hall

Sharjah International is Air Arabia’s home hub. After landing, you pass passport control, collect your bags and walk through customs into the public arrivals hall. The airport keeps a dedicated meet and greet area there for people waiting for passengers.

A greeter can wait at baggage claim instead with a welcome permit. The airport asks for it 6 hours before the flight, adds 5% VAT and an AED 10 research support fee, and does not refund it.

Friends collecting you by car can use the short-term car park, a short walk from the terminal. They pay at a booth by card, cash or NFC, or scan the QR code on the ticket. The barrier then allows 10 minutes to drive out.

Where your chauffeur meets you at SHJ

Your chauffeur waits in the meet and greet area of the arrivals hall, holding a board with your name. Switch on your phone at the baggage belts and the chauffeur sends the exact spot on WhatsApp.

Drop-offs at SHJ that start in Dubai run in Assure’s own cars under our RTA licence. A pickup at SHJ may need a car licensed in Sharjah. Where it does, we arrange one through our partner network, subject to availability. The full pickup process, with the car classes, is on our Sharjah Airport transfer page.

Families landing together often carry several large cases. A Mercedes-Benz V-Class takes 6 passengers and 4 large cases, and a 13-seat Sprinter takes 6 large cases with every seat in use. Compare them on our van and group transport page.

Changing from SHJ to a flight at Dubai International (DXB)

Sharjah Airport’s transport page lists no coach to Dubai International. By road, DXB Terminal 3 is about 23 km from SHJ and Terminal 1 about 27 km, roughly 22 to 24 minutes without traffic. Emirates uses Terminal 3, so a connection onto an Emirates flight is the shorter drive.

Switching airports means clearing passport control at SHJ, collecting your bags and checking in again at DXB. Your passport must allow entry to the UAE. Our page on pickups and drop-offs at Dubai International covers all three DXB terminals, and the self-transfer guide for UAE airports explains the timing for a connection on separate tickets.

Staying in Sharjah first, or driving further

• Meetings or family visits in the emirate: book a chauffeur in Sharjah by the hour.
• A free morning before Dubai: the Sharjah city tour can start from your SHJ pickup.
• Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah or Abu Dhabi: these run as intercity transfers between the emirates. Ajman is about 20 km from SHJ.

Flying out of SHJ from Dubai later? Read Dubai to Sharjah Airport. For buses, taxis and traffic inside the emirate, see getting around Sharjah. The other six UAE airports, from DXB to Al Ain, are compared in our UAE airports guide.