# Leaving Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports: what actually gets you into town

> Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Sharjah (SHJ) are the UAE's "other" airports. Both are easy — if you know which bus, which rank, and which app.

- Published: 2026-07-09
- Updated: 2026-07-22
- Author: Airport Exit
- Canonical URL: https://www.airportexit.com/blog/leaving-abu-dhabi-sharjah-airports-2026

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[Abu Dhabi (AUH)](/airports/auh-abu-dhabi) reopened its shiny Terminal A in late 2023 and the airport-to-city run has been transformed. [Sharjah (SHJ)](/airports/shj-sharjah) is smaller, cheaper, and mostly served by Air Arabia — but arrivals there are chaotic if you don't know the plan.

## Abu Dhabi (AUH)

**Taxi:** Silver taxis from the official rank. Downtown Abu Dhabi is AED 75–95 metered; Yas Island is AED 55–70. There is a fixed AED 25 airport surcharge added at the end.

**Careem / Uber:** Both available, similar pricing to the taxi in daytime.

**Bus:** The A1 shuttle runs 24/7 to the city bus terminal for AED 4. It's slow (~45 min) but the cheapest option by far.

## Sharjah (SHJ)

Sharjah is a 20-minute drive from Dubai on a good day, 90 minutes in traffic. Taxi to Dubai is AED 100–150. To central Sharjah, AED 30–50.

Careem works but supply is thin — you may wait 10+ minutes. Public bus 111 runs to Al Jubail bus station in Sharjah for AED 5.

## Avoid

- Unmarked "limousines" outside SHJ arrivals — they'll quote AED 250+ to Dubai.

- Booking a taxi from Sharjah to DXB and back the same day — you'll pay a return premium.

For the flagship, see [Dubai International (DXB)](/airports/dubai-airport).

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