Yas Marina, driven from Dubai

One hour, and nothing else to convert

Saudi Arabia is on UTC+3 all year, and the UAE on UTC+4. At 18:00 in Dubai it is 17:00 in Riyadh. That one hour is easy to forget if you are coordinating with relatives who remain in Saudi Arabia, so every pickup on our quote is written in UAE local time.

Flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to Dubai are short, in the range of two hours, though the schedule depends on your airline. Check the airline for times on your dates. If you drive in from Saudi Arabia instead and want a driver for the race day only, we can collect you from the hotel and leave your own car parked. Say so on the booking, along with the hotel, and we also note the time you expect to be back so that the driver is not waiting at the wrong gate.

The case for sleeping in Dubai

Hotels in Dubai are plentiful, the family can shop and eat out between race sessions, and the stay stretches beyond the race itself. The trade-off is the drive: Dubai Marina to Yas Marina Circuit is about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 in normal traffic, Downtown Dubai to Yas about 1 hour 30, and DXB to Yas about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30. Race day is slower. Check the official schedule for the race weekend. We do not sell tickets.

The Dubai to Yas transfer guide gives departure windows, and the Yas Island transfer page explains the standard run.

Private cars for families

A family group from Saudi Arabia often prefers a private vehicle with a single driver for the whole day, which keeps the party together and keeps its belongings in one place. Tell us the party size and the ages of the children. A luxury SUV, which starts from AED 1,100 for a full day with driver and fuel, suits a family of four to six. A Mercedes V-Class seats up to seven.

For a larger party, a 13-seater van or a Sprinter keeps everyone together. The Grand Prix chauffeur page covers the chauffeured option.

Prayer times on a race day

Race weekend days are long, and many Saudi visitors plan around prayer times. Prayer times shift through the year, so check a timetable for the exact day you attend and plan the day around it.

Tell us when you plan to pray and where. A vehicle with a driver who knows the stop is easier than one that has to find a space in a full car park. If you would like to pray before leaving the hotel, we set the pickup after that time. We do not know what prayer facilities are provided at the circuit, so check the official site. If you want, we can place a stop at a mosque in Abu Dhabi on the way, and add it to the quote as extra time.

One vehicle or two for a large family

Groups often travel as a family with mixed ages. If you want the party in one vehicle, say so. If the extended family prefers two vehicles, for example split by household or by age, tell us and we write them as two bookings with matching pickup times.

A single driver for the whole group means one person to coordinate with. A second vehicle means a second driver. Each is on the quote.

A worked example: three households, one race day

The brief

Three households, eleven people including four children, are staying in a Downtown Dubai hotel. They have tickets for the race-day sessions and want to leave after the morning prayer and return for a late dinner.

The plan we would write

Two vehicles, a Sprinter for eight and a V-Class for three, leave the hotel together at a time chosen so the party arrives before the gates are busy. Downtown to Yas is about 1 hour 30 in normal traffic, and race day adds to it. Both vehicles wait. After the session they leave once the first rush has cleared, and the return to Downtown can run past the usual 1 hour 30.

What to settle beforehand

Who needs a car seat, who has a mobility need, and where the party will meet if they split inside the circuit. Check the official site for what you can bring through the gates.

Tolls on the way, and GITEX the week after

Dubai has Salik gates, and the road to Abu Dhabi passes the Darb gate at Ghantoot. These are charged and are listed on the written quote. We do not state toll amounts here. See our toll explainer for where they sit on the route. Asking for the quote early lets you see them before you commit.

Some Saudi visitors are in the UAE for business as well, and GITEX Global follows from 8 to 11 December at Expo City Dubai. Our GITEX from Saudi Arabia page covers the show side, and the F1 then GITEX week page lays out the two events back to back.

Entry rules and the quote

Entry rules change. We do not give visa advice. Check with your airline or the official UAE immigration sites, ICP and GDRFA. Send your hotel, party size, ticket day and return time through the booking page and ask for a fixed written quote. The price page shows starting figures.

Related: Dubai to Yas Marina · Grand Prix chauffeur from Dubai · Grand Prix then GITEX · Dubai to Yas Island · Get a quote

Keep reading

• GITEX from Saudi Arabia: Questions to settle before a Saudi delegation, family party or executive team arrives for GITEX.
• Grand Prix from Dubai for India visitors: A Dubai base and a race day at Yas Marina for Indian families and groups.
• Grand Prix chauffeur from Dubai: A private car and driver from your Dubai hotel to Yas Marina Circuit and back: timing, cars and the late return.
• Dubai to Yas Marina: Private transfer from Dubai hotels to Yas Marina Circuit.
• Grand Prix from Dubai, Kenya: Race weekend transport from Dubai for Kenyan families and friends.
• Grand Prix from Dubai, Russia: Race weekend transport from Dubai for groups and families from Russia.