Sharjah to Abu Dhabi by group bus.

Who books Sharjah to Abu Dhabi bus hire

Groups on this route usually fall into two camps. The first is staying in Sharjah but needs to be in the capital: delegates for an exhibition at ADNEC, fans for a race weekend on Yas Island, wedding guests, a sports team on its way to a tournament. The second starts at the airport. Sharjah International is Air Arabia’s home, so plenty of visitors bound for Abu Dhabi land there, and plenty of Abu Dhabi residents fly out of it.

Either way, twenty people and their bags need one vehicle, one driver and a plan for the traffic around Dubai. Staying in Sharjah with other trips planned? See bus rental in Sharjah.

Public bus, taxi or a private bus?

For one person with a backpack, a private bus is overkill. Here is what else is available.

• Intercity buses run between the two cities. Direct services have left from Al Jubail bus station in Sharjah, and you can also change in Dubai onto one of the Dubai to Abu Dhabi routes. Check the current timetable and fare with Sharjah’s Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) before you travel.
• Air Arabia has offered coach connections between Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Airport for its own passengers. Ask the airline whether it runs for your flight.
• Etihad Rail’s passenger service has been announced with stations in both emirates. Check its status before you count on it.
• A taxi goes door to door, but the meter runs for about 160 km. For one car that is several hundred dirhams, and a group needs one car for every four people.

A private van or coach is priced per vehicle, not per seat. From about eight people it is usually the sensible choice.

The route and journey times

From Sharjah the driver heads south on the E311 (Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road) or the E611 (Emirates Road). Both bypass central Dubai and lead onto the E11 towards Abu Dhabi. Traffic from Sharjah towards Dubai is at its worst on weekday mornings, so for a morning departure we add 30 to 60 minutes to the plan.

A rough guide from central Sharjah, outside the rush hour:

These are planning figures, not promises.

Sharjah Airport to Abu Dhabi

A pre-booked transfer from Sharjah International to Abu Dhabi works like this. You send the flight number and we track it. The driver waits in arrivals with a name board. The group walks out to one vehicle with room for every bag, and on a run this long the driver plans a short comfort stop at a service station.

If you land late at night, warn the hotel that the group will check in after midnight. Our Sharjah Airport transfer page goes through the arrival itself step by step, and the guide to the Sharjah airport taxi sets out what the meter costs and when a van wins.

Abu Dhabi to Sharjah Airport: getting the timing right

The return trip is where groups get caught out. Abu Dhabi to Sharjah Airport is about two hours on a good day, and the route passes Dubai, where an accident or the evening rush can add a lot. Work backwards from the check-in deadline, not the departure time.

Example: a 21:00 flight. Your airline publishes the check-in closing time; say it is an hour before departure, so the group must be at the desk by 20:00. Aim to arrive at 19:00 to allow for queues. Two hours of driving plus a 45-minute buffer means leaving Abu Dhabi at about 16:15.

With several hotels, we collect from the furthest one first, so a group spread across Saadiyat and Yas starts earlier.

Day trips, events and weddings

From Sharjah, a day in Abu Dhabi is long but very doable. Leave at 07:30, visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi, and be back in Sharjah in the evening; check each site’s visiting rules and dress code before you go. Book it as full-day hire so the driver waits between stops. Our Abu Dhabi day trip from Dubai is the same day out. From Sharjah, add around half an hour each way.

Big events change the roads. On a race or concert weekend on Yas Island, coach drop-off zones can be some way from the venue and traffic builds early, so send us the organiser’s coach instructions when you book. For weddings, one booking can run guests from Sharjah hotels to the venue and back late at night; see event shuttles.

Prices and what is included

These starting prices are for a full day (up to 10 hours) within Dubai, with driver and fuel. A Sharjah to Abu Dhabi job is quoted for its own route, so read them as where prices start.

A closer reference point is our Dubai to Abu Dhabi group day trip, which starts from AED 550 per day in a 13-seater van. The typical market range for that day, there and back in a 13 or 14 seat van, is AED 600 to 800. Starting in Sharjah adds roughly 20 to 30 km each way.

Every quote includes the vehicle, driver, fuel and road tolls, meaning Darb gates in Abu Dhabi and any Salik gates on the way. Waiting, parking and extra hours are listed before you confirm. A one-way transfer still means the vehicle drives back, so if the group returns within a day or two, ask us to price both legs together.

Booking your transfer

Send the date and time, the pick-up and drop-off addresses, the headcount, the number of large bags and, for airport runs, the flight number. Use the booking form, email info@emiratesbushire.com or message +971 54 126 1681 on WhatsApp. We email a written quote, and nothing is charged until you confirm.

Related: Sharjah Airport transfers · Abu Dhabi day trip by coach · Bus rental Sharjah · Sharjah Airport taxi vs transfer · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Abu Dhabi day trip by coach: Your own coach for a group day in Abu Dhabi: the Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, the Louvre or Yas Island.
• Sharjah to Dubai by bus: How the public buses between Sharjah and Dubai work, where they struggle at rush hour, and when a private bus is worth it.
• Sharjah Airport transfers: Arrival pick-ups and departures at Sharjah International for groups, in vans, minibuses and coaches.
• Bus rental Sharjah: Vans, minibuses and 30 to 50-seat coaches with drivers, collecting from anywhere in Sharjah.
• Sharjah Airport taxi vs transfer: How Sharjah Airport taxi fares build up, how many cars a group really needs, and when a van or coach is the better buy.
• Sharjah to Dubai staff transport: Daily staff routes from Sharjah and Ajman into Dubai, on a fixed monthly timetable with a regular driver.