Marina to the Sevens, and home again.
The Marina and JBR have the hotels, the beach and the restaurants, and they are among the furthest parts of Dubai from The Sevens Stadium. That makes the leaving time and the late return the two things to settle before you book the flights.
How far the Marina really is
The organisers list Dubai Marina at 35 minutes from the stadium, the longest of the drive times on their travel page. For comparison, they give 27 minutes from Jebel Ali and 28 from Motor City. The stadium sits on the E66 Dubai to Al Ain road, a long way inland from the coast.
JBR sits beside the Marina and the organisers do not list it. On a routing tool the road distance is around 50 km, and the time comes out at about 35 to 45 minutes. That is approximate, without traffic, from OpenStreetMap routing, and Google Maps on the day will differ.
These figures are for quiet roads. In 2024 the RTA warned of delays on the Dubai to Al Ain road on the festival days, so check rta.ae nearer the date for 2026. We tell groups to add a generous margin and to leave the exact figure out of any plan that has a deadline.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteWhen to leave the hotel
Work backwards from the tightest rule. The organisers say last entry to the site is 8pm and there is no entry or re-entry after 9pm, on all three days. We could not find gate opening times, so ask the event app or the organiser’s notice for the day you are going.
For an evening start, leave the Marina with plenty of time before the 8pm last entry. The drive, the drop-off, the bag lane and the walk to the gate all take time, and the organisers give no figure for how long the entry lanes run on the day. For a morning start, the Saturday programme begins at 10am, so a group that wants the first match should leave the Marina in time to arrive well before it. A driver cannot drive round a queue of other vehicles, so leaving early works better than driving fast.
| Plan | Leave the Marina or JBR | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First match on Saturday | Well before 10am, with breakfast eaten | The queue builds as the first matches approach |
| Afternoon and evening | Around lunchtime | You see the day and the evening and keep the 8pm cutoff far away |
| Evening only | Early enough for the 8pm last entry | Leaves room for the drive and the entry lanes |
| Sunday finals | Mid-afternoon at the latest | Finals start at 19:35 and the site is full |
The late return, once the evening programme ends
This is the hard part from the Marina. The last Saturday pool match starts at 8:22pm, and the men’s and women’s finals on Sunday start at 19:35, with the trophy presentation after that. A group that stays to the end leaves with a large crowd, at a time when the road toward the coast is busy.
The free festival buses run from the stadium between 7pm and 1.30am on all three days, every 15 minutes. One of the five stops is DMCC Metro in JLT. JLT is the neighbourhood beside the Marina, so that bus gets a group close to the area, though not to a hotel door. From the stop you still need a taxi, a walk or a Metro ride, and by 1.30am the choices narrow. We did not find Metro operating hours for event nights, so check them before you plan on it.
A vehicle that has been booked for the group takes the group back to the hotel door at whatever time they come out. Ask for the return to be priced by the hour, so a long final is not a surprise. The driver and the group leader agree the pick-up spot before the group goes in. Our hourly chauffeur service shows how hourly hire is quoted.
Families and early leavers
Not everyone in a group wants the full evening. The organisers run a kids’ zone from 10am to 6pm and an outdoor kids’ cinema from 6pm to 9pm for ages 4 to 16. A family can leave at 6pm and be back at the hotel for bedtime. A group of friends can stay on.
Splitting is simple on paper and fiddly on the day. Two options work. One vehicle does two runs: the family goes back first, then the driver returns for the rest. Or two vehicles go out together and come back at different times. The second costs more and removes the waiting, and the written quote shows both so the group leader can compare.
Marina hotel forecourts and pick-up points
Hotels in the Marina and JBR have busy forecourts, and a full-size coach may not fit on some of them. A 13-seater van, a Sprinter or a 30-seater mini coach is easier to turn. For a mixed group staying at different towers, we can plan a single collection point nearby, or collect from each hotel in turn. Give us the hotel names and the room blocks and we work out the order.
When the group is small, a Mercedes V-Class carries up to seven. Around ten fits the 13-seater van, and up to sixteen the Mercedes Sprinter. A hotel party of twenty to thirty suits the 30-seater mini coach.
What we are and are not
We are not an official or appointed provider for the event. Other companies sell the organisers’ transfer packages, and some include a shared hotel to stadium run. If that is what you booked, use it. We offer a private vehicle with a driver, for a group that wants its own timing and its own return. We do not sell tickets, and tickets are digital, held in the event app wallet.
We do not promise where a coach may stop at the stadium, because we have not seen the arrangements. We agree a drop-off point and a separate collection point with you and check the organiser’s current notice. Read the group transport guide for the festival for more on the options.
Booking
Send the hotel name, the date, the number of people, the days you are going and the time you expect to leave the stadium through the booking page. Ask for a fixed written quote with the outward run and the return as separate lines. Late November is peak season and the Marina is busy, so book early. If the group is flying in too, ask for the airport run on the same quote; our airport transfer page explains how.
Keep reading
- DXB to The Sevens Stadium: Landing at Dubai International or Al Maktoum for the Emirates Dubai 7s: drive times to The Sevens Stadium, what to do with bags, meeting the driver and the trip back.
- Emirates Dubai 7s group transport: Getting a group to the Emirates Dubai 7s at The Sevens Stadium, 27 to 29 November 2026: what the organisers run, where it stops short and how a pre-booked vehicle fits.
- Downtown and Business Bay to the Sevens: Staying in Downtown Dubai or Business Bay for the Emirates Dubai 7s: the drive to The Sevens Stadium, how the free festival buses compare and how to split a group.
- Dubai 7s late night exit plan: How to leave The Sevens Stadium after the evening programme at the Emirates Dubai 7s: the free buses, the taxi rank, the app pick-up point and a meeting plan for a group.
- Marina and JBR hotels to GITEX at Expo City: Staying in Dubai Marina or JBR for GITEX Global 2026: the run to Expo City, the daily timing, Metro or private vehicle, and getting back after a late finish.
- Dubai Marina and JBR hotels to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Staying in Dubai Marina or JBR for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: the approximate run to Yas, session times in UAE and home time, and a plan for race day and for Friday and Saturday.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
How long is the drive from Dubai Marina to The Sevens Stadium?
The organisers give 35 minutes from Dubai Marina, off-peak. JBR is next door and works out at about 35 to 45 minutes on a routing tool. Allow more on the festival days.
What time should we leave the Marina?
Work back from the 8pm last entry. For an evening start, leave with a wide margin, because we cannot tell you how long the entry lanes will take. For a morning match, leave well before 10am.
Is there a free bus back to the Marina?
The free buses go from the stadium to five points, and one is DMCC Metro in JLT, beside the Marina. They run 7pm to 1.30am every 15 minutes. They do not go to hotels, and there is no free bus to the stadium that we could find.
Can we leave in the afternoon and come back for the evening?
The organisers allow exit and re-entry earlier in the day with the digital ticket, but there is no re-entry after 9pm. Plan any return trip with that in mind.
What if part of the group wants to go home early?
One vehicle can do two runs, or we can send two vehicles. The quote shows each leg. See our event transport page for how we plan split groups.
Will a coach fit at our hotel in the Marina?
Some forecourts are tight. A van or mini coach is easier. Give us the hotel name and we say which vehicle suits. Browse the 30-seater mini coach if your party is large.
Do you charge by the hour for a late final?
The return can be quoted by the hour so a long final does not become a surprise. The hourly chauffeur page explains how that works. Ask for a fixed written quote.
Are you the official transport for the 7s?
No. We are an independent private-vehicle company. Official packages from the organisers’ partners are separate and we do not sell them.
Staying in the Marina? Plan the late return first.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.