executive saloon
Executive Sedan
The boardroom on wheels — quiet, composed and always on time.
- Up to 4 guests
- 3 bags
- S-Class or similar
Airport transfer
Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport, timed to your flight.
A door-to-door chauffeur transfer from your Dubai hotel, home or office to Zayed International Airport — planned back from your departure time, with tolls and waiting listed on a fixed quote.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport transfer, door to door
Plenty of people staying in Dubai fly out of Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi. It is Etihad’s home airport, and it often has the better fare or the better connection. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport transfer collects you from a hotel lobby, villa gate or office anywhere in Dubai and drives you to the departures kerb at Terminal A: one chauffeur, one vehicle, no changes and no queue at a taxi rank.
You approve a fixed price, not a meter. The written quote lists the vehicle, the chauffeur, fuel, any Salik or Darb tolls and the waiting allowance, so the figure you confirm is the figure you pay. Nothing is charged until you reply to accept it, and changes are free up to 24 hours before pick-up — useful when an airline moves a departure time.
How long the drive takes
Most of the journey runs along E11: Sheikh Zayed Road through Dubai, then the motorway past Jebel Ali and Ghantoot into the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. When E11 is slow around Jebel Ali, chauffeurs often switch to E311 (Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road), which runs parallel further inland. Typical times outside the rush hours:
- Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah: around 1 hour
- Al Barsha, Dubai Hills and Al Quoz: around 1 hour 10 minutes
- Downtown Dubai, DIFC and Business Bay: around 1 hour 20 minutes
- Deira, Dubai Creek Harbour and the DXB area: around 1 hour 30 minutes
Weekday mornings and late afternoons on Sheikh Zayed Road can add half an hour or more. We build that into the pick-up time rather than leaving it to luck.
Setting the right pick-up time
Most airlines ask passengers to be at the airport around three hours before an international departure. We work backwards from that: the drive from your address, a margin for traffic, and a few minutes for loading the bags. Your chauffeur is at the kerb ten minutes before the agreed time, with the car already cool.
If you have checked in online and are travelling with hand luggage only, tell us and we can tighten the timing. If you need a stop on the way, such as collecting a colleague from another hotel or dropping keys at an office, add it to the notes when you book online and it will be built into the quote.
Tolls on the way to AUH
Leaving Dubai you may pass one or more Salik gates, depending on the route. Darb, Abu Dhabi’s toll system, charges at gates on the bridges onto Abu Dhabi island during peak hours, but Zayed International sits on the mainland, so most airport runs from Dubai never cross those bridges. Either way, tolls are included in your quote and there is nothing to settle with the chauffeur. Our guide to Salik and Darb tolls explains how both systems work.
Arriving at AUH and heading for Dubai
The same service runs in reverse. Share your flight number when you book and your chauffeur tracks it, waits in the arrivals hall at Terminal A with a name board, helps with the luggage and drives you to Dubai. An early landing or a delay simply moves the pick-up; you are not charged for the airline’s timing.
Landing at Dubai International instead? Our Dubai airport chauffeur service and the guide to meeting your driver at DXB cover the details.
Very early and very late flights
Many long-haul departures from Zayed International leave late at night or in the early hours. Pick-ups at those times are routine, and there is no surge pricing for late nights or public holidays: the fixed quote is the price you pay. If you are checking out of a Dubai hotel, the chauffeur can wait in the lobby while you settle the bill, and if you have arranged a late check-out, we simply set the pick-up time from that.
Choosing the vehicle
One or two travellers with suitcases are well looked after in the executive sedan. Families with more luggage usually choose the luxury SUV, or the Mercedes V-Class, which seats seven with room behind for their bags. A team flying out together can travel in the Mercedes Sprinter, with up to sixteen seats.
Leaving a little time before the flight? A stop at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, about twenty minutes from the airport, fits neatly before an evening departure, and your bags stay locked in the car while you visit.
Related: Abu Dhabi & Intercity · Airport Chauffeur · Grand Mosque trip from Dubai · All transfer routes · Book online
Vehicles
Recommended vehicles.
Comfortable for the motorway, with room for everyone’s luggage.
full-size SUV
Luxury SUV
Six guests, real luggage space, and presence on arrival.
- Up to 6 guests
- 5 bags
- Escalade or similar
executive MPV
Mercedes V-Class
A business-class cabin for seven, with luggage to spare.
- Up to 7 guests
- 6 bags
- Mercedes V-Class
luxury minibus
Mercedes Sprinter
Executive minibus for up to sixteen — or a VIP lounge for fewer.
- Up to 16 guests
- 12 bags
- Mercedes Sprinter
Questions
Frequently asked.
How early should I leave Dubai for a flight from Zayed International?
For an international flight, a pick-up about four and a half hours before departure from Downtown Dubai is a sensible starting point, and a little later from Dubai Marina. That covers roughly 80 minutes on the road, a margin for traffic and the three hours most airlines recommend. Tell us the departure time and we propose a pick-up time on your quote.
Is Zayed International the same airport as Abu Dhabi International?
Yes. Abu Dhabi International Airport was renamed Zayed International Airport in 2024 and still uses the code AUH. Flights operate from Terminal A, which opened in 2023, so your chauffeur drives straight to its departures road. If your ticket shows the old name, nothing changes for the transfer.
Will I pay anything to the chauffeur on the day?
No. The fixed quote already includes the chauffeur, fuel, Salik and Darb tolls, parking and the waiting allowance written on it. You confirm by email before you travel and payment details arrive with your confirmation, so there is no meter running and nothing extra to settle when you reach Terminal A.
Can you collect me from AUH and drive me to my hotel in Dubai?
Yes. Book it as an airport transfer with your flight number. Your chauffeur tracks the flight, waits in the Terminal A arrivals hall with a name board and drives you to any address in Dubai, typically around an hour to Dubai Marina and around 1 hour 20 minutes to Downtown outside the rush hours.
Can we visit the Grand Mosque on the way to the airport?
Yes, if your departure time allows. The mosque is about twenty minutes from Zayed International, so a visit of around 90 minutes fits well before an evening flight. Your luggage stays in the locked car with the chauffeur. Visitors need an entry ticket booked in advance and modest dress; see our Grand Mosque trip page for details.
What happens if Sheikh Zayed Road is congested on the day?
We check traffic before the chauffeur sets off and allow extra time on weekday mornings and late afternoons. If the main road is slow, the chauffeur can switch to E311, which runs parallel inland. If anything unusual threatens your timing, we contact you straight away rather than letting you discover it on the road.
Which vehicle suits four adults with large suitcases?
The executive sedan takes three medium suitcases, so four adults with full-size cases are better in the luxury SUV, which carries up to five bags, or the Mercedes V-Class, which carries up to six. If you are bringing golf bags or a pram, mention it in the notes and we will size the vehicle accordingly.
Flying from AUH? Leave the timing to us.
Three quick steps, and a fixed quote lands in your inbox.
Start your booking