Dubai airport to Sharjah transfer: which road the driver takes
This is the shortest drive in our set of UAE transfer routes, and kilometre for kilometre the slowest. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with your name on a board, the same routine as every pickup at Dubai International, and the car is parked a few minutes’ walk away.
From Terminal 3 the usual line goes through the Airport Tunnel, a Salik gate, onto Beirut Street. It passes Al Twar and the Al Qusais industrial area, takes Damascus Street over the border into Sharjah’s industrial area around km 16, then follows Sharjah Ring Road and Jamal Abdul Nasser Street to Al Majaz. That’s 19.7 km, and OpenStreetMap routing gives 34 minutes even on empty roads, because most of it is city streets.
There are two other ways in. Al Ittihad Road, the main Dubai-Sharjah artery, carries the Al Mamzar North and South Salik gates, charged once if both are passed within an hour; RTA added a lane at its Al Qiyadah intersection in September 2026 to cut peak waiting by up to 15%. The E311, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, has no Salik gates and suits Muwaileh and University City. Sharjah doesn’t toll private cars at all. Our toll guide for Salik and Darb lists every Dubai gate.
Taxi, Metro, bus, ferry or a booked car from DXB to Sharjah
| Option | How it works from DXB | Published price | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Taxi from the rank | Metered, from the rank at T1, T2 or T3 | AED 20-25 to start, AED 2.62 per km, Salik extra, AED 20 extra for trips through Sharjah | The meter keeps running in border traffic |
| Uber, Careem or Bolt | App booking from signed pickup points | Set by the app when you book | You walk to the pickup point with your bags |
| Metro and bus | Red Line from T1 or T3 to Deira City Centre, then bus E307 to Al Jubail bus station | Metro from AED 4 on a Nol card | Two bags per person on the Metro, and Al Jubail is a bus station, not your hotel |
| Metro and Dubai Ferry | Metro to Al Ghubaiba, then ferry FR5 to Sharjah Aquarium | AED 15 Silver, AED 25 Gold | Five sailings a day Monday to Friday, four at weekends |
| Booked private car | Driver in the arrivals hall, straight to your door | Fixed fare agreed on WhatsApp | Book before you land |
Our view: one person with a backpack heading for Al Jubail can do the Metro and bus for a few dirhams. With suitcases, children or a hotel out in Muwaileh, take a car.
Where Sharjah drop-offs usually go
Al Majaz and Al Khan hold most of the hotels, around Al Majaz Waterfront, Khalid Lagoon and Al Qasba. Expo Centre Sharjah, on Al Taawun Street, is about 18 km from Terminal 3. Al Nahda and Al Qasimiah sit right on the border, so they’re often the quickest drops of all.
Rolla, Al Ghuwair and the Heart of Sharjah around the Central Souq form the older centre, where the last kilometre is the slow one. Muwaileh and University City lie inland, with direct access to the E311 and Maliha Road. One thing first-time guests miss: Sharjah hotels and restaurants don’t serve alcohol.
If you need a driver in the emirate after the airport run, our Sharjah chauffeur service covers trips around the city and beyond.
Morning, evening and the trip back to DXB
Sharjah’s traffic peaks early. TomTom’s 2025 index puts central Sharjah’s worst hour at 7am, with trips taking 82% longer than free flow, and the wider Sharjah area’s at 6pm. Commuters drive into Dubai in the morning: on 6 January 2026 Gulf News reported heavy queues at the Al Nahda and Al Wahda border points, with Al Khail Road adding 15-20 minutes. A morning landing at DXB drives against that flow, though Sharjah’s own streets will still be busy.
Going back to DXB for a flight, the morning is the hard direction. Allow at least 30 minutes on top of the clear-road time before 10am. Flying out of Sharjah’s own airport instead? The Sharjah airport to Dubai route covers that side, and our intercity transfers handle hotel-to-hotel trips between the two cities.
Which car for the Sharjah run
On a 35-minute ride, space matters more than the badge. Two people with two large cases fit a Lexus ES. Four adults with four big suitcases need an SUV such as the GMC Yukon Denali. A family of six with a pushchair should take the Mercedes V-Class, which carries five large cases. Child seats are available on request.
