General Information » Getting Around » Bus

Dubai Municipality’s Transport Section operates over 60 bus routes serving the main residential and commercial areas, carrying close to a quarter of a million passengers every day.

Efforts are being made to display better timetables and route plans at bus stations to encourage people to use this inexpensive method of transport. While the buses are air-conditioned and modern they do tend to be rather crowded.

In Deira, the main bus station is near the Gold Souk and in Bur Dubai, on Al Ghubaiba Road near the Plaza Cinema. Buses run at regular intervals, starting between 05:00 and 06:00 and running until midnight or so. Fares are cheap at Dhs.1 – 3 per journey, and are paid to the driver when you board so try to have the exact change ready. Monthly discount tickets and e-Go cards are also available (see below). Buses also go further afield to Al Khawaneej, Al Awir and Hatta for very reasonable prices; a one way ticket to Hatta, which is 100km away, is just Dhs.7.

The E1 is a new service linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi. From early morning to late at night, buses operate every 40 minutes between Al Ghubaiba and Abu Dhabi Central bus stations, and for the two-hour journey the cost is just Dhs.15 each way – bargain!

Dubai Transport also operates a service to and from Al Arouba Rd and Al Wahda in Sharjah to both Bur Dubai and Deira. This service operates every ten minutes.

Dubai Transport Corporation offers a minibus service in addition to their taxis. These buses run to Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. The minibuses are modern, air conditioned and offer a good value service to the cities of the UAE. Unfortunately, at present, these services only carry passengers on the outward journeys. Anyone wishing to return to Dubai by public transport must make alternative arrangements.

• Dubai Transport – Northern Emirates (286 1616 or 227 3840)

• Dubai Municipality – Bus information (800 4848) and lost & found (285 0700)

• The DM site has very comprehensive route plans, timetables and fares. Visit www.dm.gov.ae, then follow the link called ‘your daily life.’

e-Go Card

This electronic smart card helps bus passengers save time and avoids the hassle of small change. Available for Dhs.5, the e-Go card can be filled with credits (Dhs.20 for the first time and multiples of Dhs.10 after). When placed on the ticket machine in the bus, the ticket amount is automatically deducted, and the balance is adjusted and stored. Alternatively you can buy a monthly pass for Dhs.90 at the bus station that allows unlimited travel for the whole month, but not on all routes.