UAE airports guide: every airport, terminal and cruise port, and how to get to your hotel

Which UAE airport will you land at?

Seven airports handle the passenger flights most visitors take into the UAE. Dubai has two of them, Abu Dhabi emirate has two, and Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah have one each. Private jets also use Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, and cruise ships berth at four terminals on the coast.

Airport	Code	Emirate	Main airlines	To Downtown Dubai by road
Dubai International	DXB	Dubai	Emirates, flydubai and more than 50 foreign airlines	about 18 km, 27 min
Al Maktoum International	DWC	Dubai	Seasonal charters and scheduled flights, many from Russia	about 49 km, 51 min
Zayed International	AUH	Abu Dhabi	Etihad, from Terminal A	about 115 km, 1 h 17 min
Sharjah International	SHJ	Sharjah	Air Arabia, at its home hub	about 39 km, 34 min
Ras Al Khaimah International	RKT	Ras Al Khaimah	Air Arabia, Air India Express, IndiGo and charters	about 112 km, 1 h 20 min
Fujairah International	FJR	Fujairah	IndiGo from Mumbai and Kannur, plus charters	about 120 km, 1 h 30 min
Tahnoun International	AAN	Abu Dhabi (Al Ain)	Pakistan International Airlines and Air India Express	about 150 km, 1 h 50 min

Drive times are free-flow figures from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data. Rush hour on Sheikh Zayed Road or the E311 adds time.

Two names changed recently, but the codes did not. Abu Dhabi International became Zayed International on 9 February 2024. Al Ain International became Tahnoun International on 11 October 2026, so older bookings may still show the old name.

How Assure covers them: Assure is RTA licensed in Dubai and meets flights at all seven airports. A trip that starts and ends inside another emirate, such as Zayed International to a Yas Island hotel, may be arranged through our partner network, subject to availability. Our airport transfers page compares every airport and the cars that fit each group.

Dubai International (DXB): Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at a glance

DXB has three passenger buildings, and your airline decides which one you use. Terminals 1 and 3 stand next to each other on the Garhoud side. Terminal 2 is a separate building north of Terminal 1, reached from Al Twar Road and Rashidiya.

Terminal	Gates	Who flies from it	Metro	Car park walk
Terminal 1	D Gates, by airport train	More than 50 international airlines	Red Line, Airport Terminal 1	Car Park A 2 to 3 min, Car Park B 7 to 9 min
Terminal 2	F Gates	flydubai and some 21 airlines	None	Car Park A 3 to 5 min, Car Park B 10 to 12 min
Terminal 3	A, B and C Gates	Emirates, plus some flydubai, United and Air Canada flights	Red Line, Airport Terminal 3	2 to 3 min, all levels

Car park times come from Dubai Airports. The Terminal 2 airline count comes from its 2019 fact file, so the list may have changed.

Terminal 2 is the odd one out. It has no metro station, so public transport means an RTA bus from the arrivals stands, paid with a Nol card. The fact file puts its capacity at over 12 million passengers a year, against the 43 million that Terminal 3 added when it opened. By road, OSRM puts Terminal 2 about 7 km from the Terminal 1 car park and about 12 km from Terminal 3. A driver at the wrong building loses time. Send the terminal with your flight number, and double-check it if your flydubai flight is one of those using Terminal 3.

Each building works differently on the way out. At Terminal 3 you may ride a train from the A Gates, then pass 72 immigration counters and 14 baggage carousels. At Terminal 1 every flight from the D Gates ends with a train ride into the main building. Read our walk-throughs for Terminal 3, the Emirates terminal, and Terminal 1 and Concourse D.

What happens between landing and meeting your driver?

Every UAE airport follows the same order, from the aircraft door to the car.

1. Gate to immigration. At DXB, flights at the A Gates and the D Gates include a short airport train ride.
2. Passport control. At DXB, smart gates take UAE and GCC nationals, UAE residents and visa-on-arrival visitors with biometric passports. Families with children, and travellers under 1.2 metres tall, use the staffed counters.
3. Baggage reclaim. Switch your phone on here. Your chauffeur’s WhatsApp message with the meeting point should be waiting.
4. Customs. Walk through and the doors open into the public arrivals hall.
5. The welcome. Your chauffeur stands in the hall holding a board with your name. VIP guests are welcomed personally.
6. To the car. You walk together to the pickup point, with the chauffeur helping with your bags.

The last step differs by airport. Dubai Airports has no pick-up area at arrivals, so at DXB the car waits in the terminal car park. At Zayed International the airport sends pickups to the Short Stay Car Park, directly opposite Terminal A. Sharjah Airport keeps a dedicated meet and greet area for people collecting passengers. At Ras Al Khaimah you arrive in a separate Arrival Terminal and meet your driver just past customs.

Visa questions on landing at DXB go to the GDRFA office in Terminal 3 arrivals, near Entrance 1, which Dubai Airports says is open 24/7.

Meet and greet at UAE airports: fast track or a name board?

“Meet and greet” covers two products. An airport service such as marhaba meets you at the aircraft gate and takes you through fast-track immigration. A chauffeur waits on the public side, after customs, and drives you away.

At DXB, Dubai Airports lists marhaba locations in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 arrivals. On 17 October 2026 marhaba listed its DXB Fast Track tier from AED 105 per person and its Silver gate meet from AED 136.50, both including VAT. Only its Elite tiers include a car.

Terminal 3 also has DXB Greet and Go, a QR code kiosk for pre-booked pickups that Dubai Airports announced on 9 July 2025. Licensed hotels, limousine companies and tour operators send guests a code, and staff walk each guest to the right car.

An Assure pickup at any UAE airport covers the arrivals hall onwards. The chauffeur holds your name board, times the pickup to your real landing from your flight number, and writes the waiting time into the quote. Our explainer on marhaba fast track and chauffeur pickups sets out when to book both.

Taxi, metro, bus or private car: how do you get to your hotel?

Airport	Taxi	Bus, coach or metro	Where a private car collects you
DXB	Dubai Taxi ranks at every terminal, 24/7, on the RTA meter	Red Line at Terminals 1 and 3; RTA buses from arrivals stands, Nol card only	The terminal car park
DWC	Dubai Taxi from the terminal	Bus F55 to Expo Metro Station, N55 to Ibn Battuta, Nol card only	Confirmed by your chauffeur on WhatsApp
AUH	Metered taxis from Terminal A, 24/7	Airport Express coach, hourly, to Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai	Short Stay Car Park opposite Terminal A
SHJ	Sharjah Taxi ranks at arrivals	Air Arabia coaches to the Al Ghurair Centre in Deira, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah	Confirmed by your chauffeur on WhatsApp
RKT	Metered taxis from the arrivals hall, 24/7	Free airport bus to Deira, Al Quoz, Muhaisnah, Muwaileh, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain	The Arrival Terminal forecourt

The Dubai Metro suits light travellers heading to a Red Line station. Dubai Airports lists trains from 5 am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, to 1 am on Friday, and from 8 am to midnight on Sunday. Each rider may bring 2 pieces of luggage, hand luggage included.

Taxis at DXB charge a higher starting fare than a street pickup, then add distance, waiting time and any Salik tolls. Trips into Sharjah carry an extra fee. Our guide to Dubai airport taxi fares keeps the current RTA tariff.

A private car makes most sense with heavy bags, a group, children or a late landing. One person meets you by name, the car class is fixed in advance, and the price for the whole car is agreed on WhatsApp before you fly.

How long is the drive from each airport to the main areas?

These road distances and free-flow drive times are averaged over both directions. They come from the site route table and direct OSRM queries on OpenStreetMap data. Expect longer at weekday rush hours.

From	Downtown Dubai	Dubai Marina	Central Abu Dhabi
DXB	about 18 km, 27 min	about 37 km, 42 min	about 154 km, 1 h 50 min
DWC	about 49 km, 51 min	about 32 km, 38 min	about 118 km, 1 h 24 min
AUH	about 115 km, 1 h 17 min	about 95 km, 1 h 3 min	about 41 km, 34 min
SHJ	about 39 km, 34 min	about 58 km, 50 min	about 175 km, 1 h 55 min
RKT	about 112 km, 1 h 20 min	about 131 km, 1 h 35 min	about 248 km, 2 h 42 min
FJR	about 120 km, 1 h 30 min	about 138 km, 1 h 43 min	about 264 km, 2 h 40 min
AAN	about 150 km, 1 h 50 min	about 148 km, 1 h 58 min	about 145 km, 1 h 30 min

Within DXB, the terminal matters too. From the Terminal 1 car park Downtown is about 15 km. From the Terminal 3 car park it is about 21 km, because Terminal 3 sits further east.

The table explains some choices that look odd on a map. A hotel on Yas Island is about 19 km from Zayed International but about 114 km from Downtown Dubai. A villa in Dubai South or Jumeirah Golf Estates is closer to DWC than to DXB.

Zayed International, Sharjah and the northern airports

Zayed International (AUH). Terminal A opened on 1 November 2023 and took over passenger flights that month. It is the Etihad hub, built for up to 45 million passengers a year. Etihad runs a coach to Dubai and Al Ain for passengers on Etihad-operated flights, and the Airport Express coach runs hourly to Ibn Battuta. Our Abu Dhabi airport pickup page covers Terminal A, Yas, Saadiyat and the drive to Dubai.

Sharjah International (SHJ). This is Air Arabia’s home hub, about 29 km by road from DXB. Collectors wait in the airport’s dedicated meet and greet area in the public arrivals hall. It suits stays in Sharjah, Ajman and northern Dubai: Al Majaz is about 18 km away and Ajman about 20 km.

Ras Al Khaimah International (RKT). RKT has a separate Arrival Terminal and Departure Terminal. RAK Airport lists Air Arabia, Air India Express and IndiGo as its scheduled airlines, with charters by Ural Air, Enter Air, Smartwings, HiSky and SkyWings. Many landings fall late in the evening, and Al Marjan Island is about 40 km from the terminal.

Fujairah International (FJR). The only passenger airport on the east coast sits about 3 km from Fujairah city centre. IndiGo began daily flights from Mumbai and Kannur on 15 May 2025, and charters use it too. Khor Fakkan is about 30 km up the E99 coast road.

Tahnoun International (AAN). Al Ain’s airport took its new name in October 2026. The National puts it about 18 km from Al Ain city, with scheduled flights from Islamabad and Kozhikode.

Al Maktoum International (DWC). DWC has one passenger terminal, with 24 gates and 7 reclaim carousels. It welcomed more than 1.1 million guests in 2024, and Russia was its biggest market with 713,000. In April 2024 the Dubai Media Office announced an AED 128 billion terminal there, with capacity for 260 million passengers a year. It said all DXB operations would move to DWC in the coming years. A June 2026 release says the airport is on course to start operations in 2032, without a date for the move.

Private jet and executive terminals: DWC and Al Bateen

Private flights land at a fixed-base operator (FBO), not the main terminal. Jetex runs an FBO at the Private VIP Terminal at DWC, with customs and immigration on site and 24/7 operations. DC Aviation Al-Futtaim and ExecuJet also operate at DWC. At DXB, ExecuJet runs an FBO in the Dubai International Airport Free Zone.

In Abu Dhabi, Jetex operates at Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI), about 10 km from central Abu Dhabi on the island itself. That is a much shorter drive to the Corniche than Zayed International, about 45 km away.

Your chauffeur waits where the FBO allows, either in its lounge or at the landside exit, and loads bags at the kerb. Send the FBO name, the tail number and your arrival time. Our private jet terminal pickups page lists each FBO with its hours and drive times.

Cruise terminals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and on the east coast

Terminal	Where it is	Operator	To DXB
Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid	Port Rashid, at the northern end of Bur Dubai	DP World	about 16 km, 25 min
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal	Between Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah	Shamal Holding	about 33 km, 35 min
Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port	Al Mina, on Abu Dhabi island	AD Ports Group	about 150 km, 1 h 42 min

DP World says Mina Rashid takes 7 cruise ships or up to 27,000 passengers at once. It has run homeporting since 2007 and sees about 1 million passengers a year.

Some itineraries also call at Khor Fakkan, a Sharjah town on the east coast. Downtown Dubai is about 132 km from there, over Khor Fakkan Road through the Hajar Mountains. A trip from Zayed Port or Khor Fakkan that stays inside Abu Dhabi or Sharjah may be arranged through our partner network, subject to availability. Our cruise terminal transfers page covers ship-to-airport timings.

Travelling with children, extra luggage or a late-night flight

Children. Families with children cannot use the DXB smart gates, so plan for the staffed counters. Ask for child seats when you book and give each child’s age.

Luggage. Match the car to the bags, not just the people.

Your group	Cars that fit	Large suitcases
1 to 3 passengers	Lexus ES 300h, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series	2
Up to 6, light luggage	GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade	3
Up to 6, heavy luggage	Mercedes-Benz V-Class	4
7 to 13 passengers	Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 13 seats	6
14 to 19 passengers	Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 19 seats	3
Larger groups	A minibus or a coach	Ask us

Minibuses and coaches are available through our partner network, subject to availability.

Late landings. The Red Line stops at midnight on most nights, so a 1 am arrival at DXB leaves taxis or a pre-booked car. RKT sees landings close to midnight, and its board on 17 October 2026 showed arrivals from Cochin and Calicut around then. Assure answers WhatsApp and phone 24/7, so a late change of flight still reaches a person.

Connecting between two UAE airports

Changing airports means entering the UAE. DWC tells guests moving between DWC and DXB to clear passport control, collect their bags and arrange onward transport. Your passport must qualify for entry, or you need a visa first.

Connection	Road distance	Without traffic
DXB to Sharjah (SHJ)	about 29 km	35 min
DXB to Al Maktoum (DWC)	about 61 km	1 h 10 min
DWC to Zayed International (AUH)	about 94 km	1 h 13 min
DXB to Zayed International (AUH)	about 131 km	1 h 39 min

A chauffeur meets you in arrivals at the first airport and drops you at departures at the second. Send both flight numbers when you book. Our guide to connecting between two UAE airports goes through the steps in more detail.

When should you leave for the airport on departure day?

Dubai Airports advises arriving at least 3 hours before your flight. Add the drive and a margin for traffic. From Dubai Marina to DXB, about 37 km, that means leaving roughly 4 hours before take-off.

Emirates passengers can check in and drop bags at DXB 24 hours before departure, or 12 hours before for US flights. For an Abu Dhabi flight from Dubai, add the 115 km run down the E11. Our departure timing guide covers the timing in more detail.

Drop-offs at DXB stop in the drop-off area on the departures level of your terminal.

What to send when you book an airport pickup

The details change with the airport. Send these on WhatsApp to +971 56 684 8148, and add whatever applies to your trip.

• Every flight: the airport code, the terminal, the flight number, the date, passengers and large suitcases.
• Children: each child’s age, so the right child seat comes with the car.
• DXB and DWC: the code on your ticket, because both airports serve Dubai.
• Private flights: the FBO name, the tail number and the arrival time.
• Cruise passengers: the ship’s name, the terminal and the time you expect to leave the ship.
• Connections: both flight numbers, so the drop-off matches your second airport.
• A marhaba booking: the tier, so your chauffeur waits at the marhaba meeting point.

The quote covers the whole car, with the waiting time written in. Partner-network cars are confirmed for your date before you fly.

Which terminal does your airline use?

• Emirates: DXB Terminal 3.
• flydubai: mostly DXB Terminal 2, with some flights at Terminal 3.
• United and Air Canada: DXB Terminal 3.
• Most other foreign airlines: DXB Terminal 1, at the D Gates.
• Etihad: Zayed International, Terminal A.
• Air Arabia: Sharjah, plus flights at Ras Al Khaimah.
• IndiGo and Air India Express: several UAE airports, including RKT. Check your ticket.

Codes on your ticket matter more than airline names, because DXB and DWC both serve Dubai. Our guide to DXB terminals by airline has the airline-to-terminal table. When you know your terminal, send the flight number on WhatsApp, and the DXB pickup page shows where your chauffeur will stand.