Dubai to Abu Dhabi private transfer

How a Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer works

1. Send the pickup and drop-off addresses, the date and time, the number of passengers and the number of large suitcases. Use WhatsApp on +971 56 684 8148 or the trip ticket on this page.
2. You get one price for the car and the route on WhatsApp. Confirm it there.
3. Your chauffeur collects you at the door. If you land at DXB or DWC, the chauffeur waits in arrivals with your name on a board.
4. The car drives to your Abu Dhabi address, with any stops you agreed in the quote.

How far is Abu Dhabi from Dubai by road?

Downtown Dubai to central Abu Dhabi is about 139 km, roughly 1 hour 28 minutes without traffic. Your start point in Dubai matters: Dubai Marina is 20 km closer than Downtown, and DXB in Garhoud is 15 km further.

From	To	Road distance	Without traffic
Downtown Dubai	Central Abu Dhabi	about 139 km	1 h 28 min
Dubai Marina	Central Abu Dhabi	about 119 km	1 h 14 min
Palm Jumeirah	Central Abu Dhabi	about 125 km	1 h 18 min
Expo City Dubai	Central Abu Dhabi	about 114 km	1 h 15 min
Downtown Dubai	Yas Island	about 114 km	1 h 13 min
Dubai Marina	Yas Island	about 94 km	59 min
Downtown Dubai	Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	about 129 km	1 h 24 min
Dubai Marina	Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	about 108 km	1 h 8 min
Downtown Dubai	Zayed International (AUH)	about 115 km	1 h 17 min

The figures come from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data, checked on 17 October 2026. Most are averaged over both directions; the Grand Mosque rows are one way from Dubai. Weekday rush hours on Sheikh Zayed Road add time, so allow up to 2 hours between the city centres at peak.

The roads between the two cities

Most drives stay on one road number the whole way, the E11. In Dubai it is Sheikh Zayed Road, for about 48 km from Downtown to the Abu Dhabi border near Ghantoot. On the Abu Dhabi side it becomes Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street for another 48 km. The last 37 km into the city run on Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street.

The inland option is the E311, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, which passes close to Al Maktoum International (DWC). It carries on into Abu Dhabi emirate and meets the E11 nearer the capital by way of the E16, Al Taf Road. The chauffeur picks between the two on the day by traffic.

Tolls on the way: Salik and Darb

In Dubai, Salik gates charge a toll each time a car passes under one, and some stand on Sheikh Zayed Road. Whether your car passes a gate depends on where in Dubai the trip starts. More detail is in Salik tolls in Dubai.

In Abu Dhabi, the Darb system opened a gate at Ghantoot on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street on 4 May 2026. It charges AED 4 per crossing, 24 hours a day, and sits on the E11 coast road between the two cities. A second all-day gate opened the same day on Wahat Al Karama Street, where it meets Sheikh Zayed Street.

Abu Dhabi’s other Darb gates charge AED 4 per crossing only from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. They are free on Sundays and public holidays. Your quote states whether tolls are included. See Darb tolls in Abu Dhabi for the gate list.

Stopping at the Grand Mosque or Yas on the way

Coming from Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is on your side of the capital, about 10 km before the city centre, so the detour is short. Book the mosque’s online access pass before the day if you are visiting rather than praying. Women wear loose clothes to the ankles with full hair cover, and men are advised to wear clothes that cover the legs. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visitor guide covers entry and dress.

Yas Island is reached straight from the E11, about 94 km from Dubai Marina. It holds Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and our Yas Island theme parks page covers park days. Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is on the same island. Compare the parks in Yas Island theme parks compared.

A transfer with stops keeps your own plan and timings. For a set day of sights in the capital instead, see our Abu Dhabi city tour.

Airport to airport: DXB and DWC to Zayed International

Some travellers land in Dubai and fly out of Abu Dhabi, or the reverse, and go straight between the airports. Dubai International (DXB) to Zayed International (AUH) is about 131 km, roughly 1 hour 39 minutes without traffic. From Al Maktoum International (DWC) in Dubai South it is about 94 km, roughly 1 hour 13 minutes.

At DXB arrivals, your chauffeur waits in the hall of your terminal with a name board, then walks you to the terminal car park. DWC pickups work the same way in its single passenger terminal. At AUH the car stops in front of Terminal A departures. Add the drive to your airline’s check-in deadline, with a margin for the E11.

Landing at AUH and heading for Dubai is the other half of this trip. The meeting point in the Terminal A arrivals hall is on our Zayed International transfers page.

Which car for the drive to Abu Dhabi

Class	Example models	Passengers	Large suitcases
Business sedan	Lexus ES 300h; Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series through our partner network	3	2
First class sedan	Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series	3	2, plus 2 cabin bags
Luxury SUV	GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade	6	3
Van	Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Staria	6	2 to 4 (4 in the V-Class)
Minibus	Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 13 seats	13	6

Bag counts are large checked suitcases with every seat in use. Partner vehicles are available through our partner network, subject to availability. A family of 4 with 4 large suitcases fits a V-Class; a Yukon takes 3 of those cases.

Taxi or private car to Abu Dhabi

	Metered taxi	Private transfer with Assure
Price	The meter runs for the whole 139 km, plus waiting time and tolls	One price for the car, agreed on WhatsApp before the day
Where it starts	A taxi rank, the street or an app booking	Your door, or the arrivals hall with a name board
Stops	Waiting is charged by the minute while you visit	Agreed in the quote, with the car waiting
Groups and bags	6 people with luggage may need 2 taxis on 2 meters	One SUV, van or minibus sized to the group

Abu Dhabi taxis charge a flag fall, a rate per kilometre and a rate per minute of waiting, set by Abu Dhabi Mobility. Fares, the intercity bus and the other options are compared in our guide on how to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi to Dubai: the return leg

Abu Dhabi to Dubai is the same 139 km in reverse, but the licence depends on where the trip begins. Assure’s RTA licence covers trips that start in Dubai. A pickup in Abu Dhabi uses a vehicle licensed there, which is why we confirm that leg for your date before you book.

Heading back, the car takes the E11 through the Ghantoot gate, which charges at any hour, then joins Sheikh Zayed Road at the Dubai border. For a same-day return with the car waiting in Abu Dhabi, add the waiting hours to your request so the quote covers them.

What sets the price

• Where the trip starts in one city and ends in the other.
• The car class, and whether the group needs one car or two.
• One way, or a same-day return with the car waiting.
• Stops on the way, such as the Grand Mosque or a Yas Island park.
• The hour you travel, and tolls on your route.