Airport Transfer UAE runs private, pre-booked cars from all six UAE international airports to any address in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, plus Ajman and Al Ain. You agree a fixed fare on WhatsApp before you fly. We track the flight, and your driver waits in arrivals with your name.
What is a private airport transfer in the UAE?
A private airport transfer is a car and driver booked in advance for your party alone, at a fare agreed before you land. The driver follows your flight, meets you inside arrivals and drives you door to door. You don’t queue at a rank, and nobody else rides with you.
Booking ahead is also the law. In Dubai, a chauffeur-driven luxury car may only carry passengers who booked ahead, and the RTA fines drivers who pick up without a booking (RTA driver violations list, item 55). The smart cars parked outside arrivals are all waiting for someone who arranged them in advance. Every car we send is RTA-licensed for chauffeur hire.
Start with the UAE airport transfers hub if you want the six airports side by side.
How pickup works at DXB, AUH and SHJ
Where you walk after customs depends on the airport.
Dubai International (DXB)
There is no pickup lane outside DXB arrivals. Dubai Airports tells anyone collecting a passenger to use the terminal car park (Dubai Airports FAQ), so your driver waits inside the arrivals hall holding your name, then walks you to the car. Emirates flights arrive at Terminal 3, where the hall is long, so message us on WhatsApp once you have your bags. Our Dubai airport transfer page covers each terminal, and the DXB arrivals guide walks you from the gate to the exit.
Zayed International (AUH)
Abu Dhabi’s airport was renamed Zayed International in February 2024 and kept the code AUH. Flights now use Terminal A, which took its first commercial flight on 31 October 2023, so your driver meets you in one arrivals hall. The usual drop-offs are Abu Dhabi city, Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, or Dubai up the E11. Details are on the Abu Dhabi airport transfer page.
Sharjah International (SHJ)
Sharjah is the Air Arabia base, and its arrivals area is compact. The airport taxi operator, Sharjah Taxi, adds AED 20 to every trip that starts at the airport (Sharjah Airport), which is worth knowing when you compare a taxi with a booked car to Dubai, Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah. See the Sharjah airport transfer page.
At the three smaller airports, Al Maktoum (DWC), Ras Al Khaimah (RKT) and Fujairah (FJR), the pickup works the same way: name board in arrivals, car a short walk away.
UAE airport transfer, taxi or ride-hailing app?
Dubai Taxi is the only taxi operator at DXB and DWC, with ranks open around the clock, and Uber, Careem and Bolt have signed pickup points (Dubai Airports).
| Booked private transfer | Airport taxi | Ride-hailing app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Fixed fare agreed before you fly | Meter from an airport starting fare, tolls added | Shown in the app when you order, can rise at busy times |
| Where you meet | Inside arrivals, driver holds your name | Taxi rank outside the terminal | Signed pickup point, you find the car |
| If the flight is late | Flight tracked, 60 minutes free waiting | Nothing booked, you join the queue | You order after landing |
| Best for | Families, groups, late landings, other emirates | One or two people with light bags going nearby | Solo travellers with mobile data working on arrival |
Our view: one person with a carry-on going to Deira should take the taxi. A family of five heading to Palm Jumeirah or Abu Dhabi should book a van with driver. The taxi vs private transfer guide compares them in more detail.
How your fare is fixed
We price the car class, the distance, the pickup hour and any stops you add, then send you one number on WhatsApp. Once you accept it, it stays the same if Sheikh Zayed Road is crawling at 6pm, and a delayed flight doesn’t change it either, because we track the landing.
If your route crosses Salik gates in Dubai or Darb gates in Abu Dhabi, the quote shows how they’re handled. The Salik and Darb guide explains the two toll systems.
One tip: ask for the quote with the car named. “Sedan” can mean a Camry or an S-Class, and that difference shows in the price.
Transfers between emirates
From DXB, Abu Dhabi is down the E11, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah are up the E311, Al Ain is out along the E66, and Fujairah means crossing the Hajar Mountains to the east coast. Many visitors bound for Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah fly into DXB or Sharjah and drive the rest.
The UAE transfer routes page lists distances and drive times for each run, starting with Dubai airport to Abu Dhabi. For city-to-city trips that don’t start at an airport, see intercity transfers.
Chauffeur hire by the hour
When the day has several stops, say meetings in DIFC and Business Bay and then dinner in Abu Dhabi, book the car by the hour and keep one driver with you. Send the start time, a rough plan and the hours, and the minimum booking and rate come back with the quote. Read more on hourly chauffeur hire or the chauffeur service across the UAE.
Booking an airport transfer in the UAE for a late-night arrival
DXB runs 24 hours, and so does our WhatsApp. The taxi queue at 2am depends on how many flights landed together, and you won’t know until you’re standing in it. With children, a child seat has to be in the car before you leave the kerb: UAE rules require one for children under four (child seat rules). A Dubai chauffeur car can’t take you without a booking, so arrange it before you board.
Send the flight number before you fly. We track it and the driver works to the real landing time. The first 60 minutes of waiting are free. The flight delays guide explains what happens when the landing slips further, and the booking page lists what to send.
