Why UAE arrivals catch people out
Dubai International has no pick-up area at Arrivals. That’s Dubai Airports’ own answer in its official FAQ: anyone collecting you has to park in the terminal car park and come in on foot. After a seven-hour flight, with two children and four suitcases, that’s not a puzzle you want to solve at the exit doors.
You could join the taxi queue, or hunt for a ride-hailing pickup point somewhere along a signed walkway. Our airport meet and greet, part of every airport pickup in our chauffeur and transfer services, is simpler: a person holding your name who knows exactly where the car is parked.
How our airport meet and greet works
- You send the pickup details and your flight number on WhatsApp. We reply with a fixed fare for the car.
- We track the flight. If it lands early or late, the pickup moves with it.
- The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a board showing your name, on the public side of the customs exit.
- The first 60 minutes of waiting are free, so passport control and the baggage belt don’t eat into your fare.
- The driver takes the trolley, walks you to the car and loads the bags. RTA rules require drivers to help with luggage when asked, and ours do it as a matter of course.
Where your driver meets you at each airport
| Airport and terminal | Where the driver waits | Getting to the car |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3, home of Emirates | Arrivals hall, outside the customs exit | T3 car park, about a 2-3 min walk |
| DXB Terminal 1, used by most other international airlines | Arrivals hall, outside the customs exit | Car Park A, about a 2-3 min walk |
| DXB Terminal 2, flydubai’s main terminal | Arrivals hall. T2 sits on the opposite side of the airport from T1 and T3 | Car Park A, about a 3-5 min walk |
| Al Maktoum (DWC) | Arrivals hall, outside the customs exit | Terminal car park. Parking is free at DWC |
| Zayed International (AUH), Terminal A | Arrivals hall, after customs | Terminal car park, spot confirmed on WhatsApp |
| Sharjah (SHJ) | The airport’s meet and greet area in arrivals | Car park within walking distance of the terminal |
| Ras Al Khaimah (RKT) and Fujairah (FJR) | At the arrivals exit | Spot confirmed on WhatsApp |
DXB walking times are Dubai Airports’ own figures for each car park. Two practical notes. First, flydubai uses Terminal 3 for some routes as well as Terminal 2, so check the terminal on your booking, because getting from one side of DXB to the other by road takes time. Second, at Terminal 3, Dubai Airports runs DXB Greet & Go, a reception space in the arrivals area for licensed hotels and tour operators that replaces old-style paging.
Airports move barriers and signs during works, so we send the exact meeting spot on WhatsApp before you fly. Our Dubai airport arrivals guide walks through the T1, T2 and T3 exits in more detail.
Meet and greet vs paid fast-track services like Marhaba
The difference is which side of the customs door it happens on. Our meet and greet starts in the public arrivals hall. Paid airport services work inside the terminal.
At DXB, paid services such as Marhaba sell meet-and-assist packages at all three terminals, covering fast-track immigration, porter help at baggage reclaim and, on higher tiers, a personal escort. Package names and inclusions change, so check what you’re buying. Sharjah Airport runs its own Hala Services, aimed at passengers with reduced mobility, older travellers and children flying alone, with help through immigration and security plus porters and a lounge. At Zayed International, paid meet-and-assist is sold too, including through lounge operators.
We don’t sell any of these. You book them with the airport service or its resellers, and they work well alongside ours: the escort brings you out, and our driver takes it from there.
| Our meet and greet | Airport fast-track (Marhaba, Hala) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it happens | Public arrivals hall, then the car | Inside the terminal, through immigration and baggage |
| What you get | Name board, bags to the car, the drive | Shorter queues, an escort, porters |
| Who you book with | Us, on WhatsApp | The airport service or a reseller |
| Gets you to your hotel | Yes | Not usually. You still need a car |
If you need a wheelchair, Dubai Airports’ assistance is free. Ask your airline 24-48 hours before you fly, then tell us, so the driver brings a car that suits.
What’s included
- A driver in the arrivals hall with your name on a board
- Flight tracking on every airport pickup
- 60 minutes of free waiting at the airport, 15 minutes at other pickups
- Help with bags from the trolley to the boot
- Child seats on request
- A fixed fare agreed before you fly, with bookings answered 24 hours a day
Choosing the car for your arrival
Count the suitcases before you pick the car. For a family of four with four large cases, book the Yukon or the V-Class, not a sedan.
| Car | Passengers | Large suitcases | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus ES | 3 | 2 | Solo travellers and couples |
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 3 | 2 | Business and VIP arrivals |
| GMC Yukon Denali | 6 | 4 | Families who want an SUV |
| Mercedes V-Class | 6 | 5 | Families and small groups with a lot of luggage |
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan | 3 | 3 | A VIP arrival with luggage |
Timing, delays and what sets the fare
Book the pickup for your scheduled landing time and give us the flight number. If the flight is badly delayed, the booking follows it, and our guide to flight delays and waiting time explains how the free hour works in practice.
The fare depends on the airport, where you’re going and the car. Extra stops and any waiting beyond the free 60 minutes are agreed with you before they happen. A drop in another emirate is common: plenty of travellers land at DXB and head straight to the capital on our Dubai airport to Abu Dhabi transfer.
A few local differences are worth knowing. Abu Dhabi’s airport was renamed Zayed International on 9 February 2024, and its newer Terminal A took its first commercial flight on 31 October 2023, so returning visitors may find the layout unfamiliar. In Sharjah, the official airport taxi adds an AED 20 surcharge to trips that start at the terminal, while our fare is fixed before you land. And many visitors heading to Ras Al Khaimah fly into DXB rather than RKT. For them, the Dubai airport to Ras Al Khaimah route starts with the same name-board meeting.
