GITEX Global transport for Canadian groups

Which Canada are you coming from

In December, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are on UTC-5, so the UAE is 9 hours ahead. Winnipeg is on UTC-6, so 10 hours. Calgary and Edmonton are on UTC-7, so 11 hours. Vancouver is on UTC-8, so 12 hours. Halifax is on UTC-4, so 8 hours. A team from several cities will disagree about what time it is at home, so we write every pickup in UAE local time.

This is why one Canadian group is often several arrival groups. Send each person's flight, rather than just the team leader's. Check your airline to see whether the route is direct or connects through a hub in Europe or elsewhere, since arrival times vary a lot.

The journey is the schedule

A direct flight from Toronto to Dubai, if you find one for your dates, takes about 12 to 13 hours. A departure from Toronto at 22:00 on Monday is 07:00 Tuesday in the UAE, and the plane lands at about 19:30 on Tuesday. Most Canadians will connect through another city, which adds hours and spreads arrivals across the day and night.

The practical effect is jet lag on the first day of the show. With nine to twelve hours of difference, your team will be awake at 03:00 and asleep at 15:00. We cannot fix that, but we can make the transfer easy: a driver at arrivals, a vehicle with space to stretch, and the hotel told about the late check-in. Our arrivals pickup guide explains the meet-and-greet in detail.

Plan the arrival day as a half day

Give the team the day before the show opens to recover. Check with the organiser whether badges can be collected before the show days. If they can, a short trip that afternoon takes the queue pressure off the first morning.

The arrival day itself has three moves: DXB to hotel, hotel to a quiet dinner, back to the hotel. For a Marina or JBR stay, the transfer from DXB is a normal city run, and the DXB to Palm Jumeirah page covers the longer hotel run. A executive sedan, which starts from AED 950 for a full day with driver and fuel, suits a founder or a pair travelling together.

French and English on the same team

A Canadian delegation can include speakers of French and English, often within the same company. The working language of the driver is English. Send us the briefing in French or any other language and we translate the pickup note. The translated note stays with the booking.

Name the hotel in the way your booking shows it. International chains often have two properties in the same area, and a team that is told the wrong one at 23:00 after 14 hours of travel is not in a patient mood.

Coats, cases and the drive times

Canadian visitors leave in winter coats and arrive to daytime temperatures that are mild. Expo City halls are air-conditioned, though, and evenings outdoors can feel cool. Winter gear is bulky, so tell us if each traveller has a large coat as well as a suitcase. It affects which vehicle is comfortable.

Exhibitors from Canada tend to ship stand material ahead rather than carry it. If you do carry panels or banners, send the sizes. Our exhibitor team guide explains loading.

Expo City is about 25 to 40 minutes from Dubai Marina, JBR and the Palm, about 35 to 50 minutes from Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC, about 30 to 40 minutes from Al Barsha and Dubai Hills, and about 35 to 50 minutes from DXB, all in normal traffic. Show mornings are slower.

If your team stays in Sharjah, allow about 45 to 70 minutes. For Abu Dhabi, allow about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30. The hotel shuttle guide explains a loop service between your hotel and the show.

Flying home to Canada after the show

The last show day is Friday 11 December. Flights back to Canada often leave in the evening or night, and a connection in Europe or elsewhere stretches the day further. Work backward from the departure time on the ticket: check-in at DXB, the drive from Expo City or the hotel, and an hour at the venue to close the stand.

Winter in Toronto or Montreal is a reminder that the coats packed on the way out will be needed again on the way back. Ask us to hold a vehicle by the hour, so the team can finish at the hall, collect bags from the hotel and reach DXB without a stop in the lobby. The hours go on the quote, and you see them before you agree.

If you are also seeing the Grand Prix

Some Canadian fans plan the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 3 to 6 December at Yas Marina Circuit and then stay for GITEX. Check the official schedule. We do not sell tickets. From Dubai Marina to Yas is about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 in normal traffic and longer on race days. Our two-event week guide shows how to plan it.

Entry rules, currency and the next step

Entry rules change. We do not give visa advice. Check with your airline or the official UAE immigration sites, ICP and GDRFA. The quote is in dirhams and lists vehicle, hours, driver, fuel and any Salik charges.

Send flights, headcount, hotel and dates through the booking page and ask for a fixed written quote.

Related: GITEX Global transport · GITEX VIP chauffeur · Meeting your driver at DXB · GITEX airport transfer · Get a quote

Keep reading

• GITEX Global transport: Airport, hotel and Expo City transport for GITEX Global week.
• GITEX from the USA: A pre-flight checklist for US teams: jet lag, time zones, long-haul arrivals and show-day transport.
• GITEX from France: Airport pickups, hotel runs and Expo City transfers for French teams.
• GITEX from Germany: A day-by-day transport plan for German companies and delegations at GITEX Global.
• GITEX delegation bus: Coaches and minibuses for national and company delegations.
• GITEX from India: Airport pickups, booth-case luggage and Expo City runs for teams flying in from India.