Dubai tennis, right next to the airport.
For most visitors this is one of the easiest event trips in the city. The stadium in Garhoud is a few minutes from Dubai International, and the organiser already runs free ways to reach it. A vehicle matters for groups, and we say where.
Two weeks, one stadium
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships run from 14 to 27 February 2027 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Garhoud. The organiser, Dubai Duty Free, runs the women’s WTA event first and the men’s ATP event second. The stadium has a 5,000 seat centre court.
| Event | Dates | Typical sessions |
|---|---|---|
| WTA, women | 14 to 20 February, qualifying from 12 February | Day sessions from 11 am to 4:30 pm, and 7 pm sessions |
| ATP, men | 22 to 27 February, qualifying 20 and 21 February | Day sessions from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, and 7 pm sessions |
The organiser’s schedule is tentative and subject to change. In the ATP week the semi-finals are listed for 26 February and the finals for 27 February. We give dates and no weekdays there, because the organiser’s page labels them wrongly. Order of play for each day is published by the organiser, so check it before you book any pick-up.
Tickets are the organiser’s business. We do not sell them, and the organiser says each ticket is valid for the day and date shown only and cannot be resold or transferred except by the organiser.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteHow close is the airport
Closer than almost any other event in the city. The organiser’s own map puts Dubai International on the east side of the stadium, beyond Airport Road. Our route model from Terminal 3 gives about 3 km and roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Terminal 1 is further round, around 8 to 9 km and about 10 minutes. These are approximate figures from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, so allow more on a match night.
For a visitor who lands, drops bags at a hotel and heads for an evening session, the airport is not the hard part. The hard part is the timing: an afternoon arrival leaves a gap before a 7 pm session, and a night match ends at an hour that the organiser does not publish. We therefore say only that the return is after the session ends.
We found no published bag storage at the stadium. If you land with luggage, go to your hotel first. Our airport to hotel guide explains the choices on arrival.
What the organiser runs: Metro, shuttle, Park N Ride
Read this part before anything else, because it is free for most visitors.
- Metro: the organiser says the stadium is a five-minute walk from GGICO Metro Station. It also names Al Garhoud Metro Station, with a free shuttle bus to the stadium. These appear to be the same Red Line station under its older and newer names, and we suggest checking the RTA map. Check the RTA timetable too: Sunday service starts later than other days as we read it, and 14 February is a Sunday.
- Park N Ride: the organiser offers a complimentary Park N Ride service to and from the stadium for ticket holders throughout the Championships. It starts one hour before match times. The organiser’s 2027 map shows free parking and a free shuttle south-west of the stadium, near Marrakech Street and Casablanca Road, with a pedestrian bridge on Casablanca Road.
- Taxi and ride-hail: we found no organiser statement on a designated zone, so we do not describe one.
We could not find the frequency of either shuttle, or the time of the last service after a late match. Plan a back-up and read the organiser’s travel page the week you go.
Hotels near the stadium
The organiser’s Park N Ride map labels several neighbours: Creekside Hotel Dubai, the Millennium Airport Hotel and Al Bustan Rotana. They are labels on its map, not partners of ours, and we do not know whether they run any event service. For guests in that cluster the answer is often a short taxi ride or a walk to the Metro.
When a vehicle matters, and when it does not
We are Dubai Bus Services, a private company. We are not the organiser’s transport provider, and the free shuttles above are the organiser’s, not ours.
Be honest about the numbers. For one, two or three people, the Metro, Park N Ride and a taxi cover almost every case, and a private vehicle adds little. Where it helps is a group of ten or more that wants to leave one hotel at one time, arrive together and leave together after the last point. That is a school party with staff, a tennis club trip, a hotel concierge booking for a block of guests, or a company group.
Seat sizes run from the 13-seater van and the Mercedes Sprinter for a mid-size group, to the 30-seater mini coach for a larger one. A small party that wants a driver on call for the evening fits the Mercedes V-Class. Our team and tournament transport guide shows how we plan group timings.
We do not know whether a coach or minibus may use any drop-off or waiting area at the stadium. We agree the drop-off and collection point with you and follow the organiser’s current notice. We do not buy tickets for groups, and we never suggest swapping tickets inside a party.
The airport to the stadium, step by step
Terminal 3 to the stadium is a few minutes by road. A group landing in the afternoon for a 7 pm session might do this: bags to the hotel, a rest, then one departure for the stadium. If the match is a day session, work back from the start time the organiser lists. The airport transfer page and the big group arrival guide explain the pick-up. Our airport to Downtown Dubai route shows the next common leg.
The return
After a 7 pm session, most people leave at the same moment. The Metro and the shuttles are the organiser’s answer. We could not confirm late-night Metro behaviour for the event, so the sensible plan for a group is to book the return leg in advance. State the party size, the hotel, and an honest buffer. The vehicle collects at the point we agreed, and the written quote shows the waiting hours.
Before you fly
Entry rules depend on your passport. Check the official UAE government visa page, and your own government’s travel advice page. We do not give visa advice. February is peak season, so ask for a fixed written quote early through the booking page.
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.
- 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 Safari Park group day: A group day at Dubai Safari Park: Season 8 hours and last entry, where the park is on Hatta Road, and how long the drive takes from the main hotel areas.
- Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
- Dubai airport transfer for groups: Vans, Sprinters, mini coaches and 50-seat coaches for groups landing at DXB or DWC, with the luggage and the split flights planned.
- 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.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
When are the Dubai Tennis Championships 2027?
From 14 to 27 February 2027. The women’s WTA event is 14 to 20 February and the men’s ATP event is 22 to 27 February. The organiser’s schedule is tentative.
How far is the stadium from Dubai Airport?
It is beside the airport. Our model gives about 3 km, roughly 5 to 10 minutes by road from Terminal 3. Approximate, with no traffic.
Is there a Metro station nearby?
Yes. The organiser says the stadium is a five-minute walk from GGICO Metro Station, and names Al Garhoud Metro Station with a free shuttle bus. Check the RTA map for the station name.
Is there free parking?
The organiser offers a complimentary Park N Ride for ticket holders, starting one hour before match times. Its map shows free parking and a free shuttle near Marrakech Street and Casablanca Road.
Do I need a vehicle at all?
Rarely, for one to three people. A vehicle helps a group of ten or more that wants one departure and one return.
Can a coach drop off at the stadium?
We do not assume so. No coach arrangement is published in what we found. We agree the point with you and follow the organiser’s current notice.
Do you sell tennis tickets?
No. Tickets are the organiser’s business, and they are valid only for the day and date shown. We provide the vehicle and the driver.
How much does a group vehicle cost?
Ask for a fixed written quote. It depends on the date, the party size, the hotel and the hours, and we put it in writing before you accept.
Bringing a group to the tennis? Tell us the session.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.