Dubai to Abu Dhabi Bus: Timings, Fares & Routes (E100, E101, E102)

Taking the Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus is the cheapest way to travel between the two cities. Three RTA intercity routes — E100, E101 and E102 — run from different Dubai stations to Abu Dhabi every day, with one-way fares of AED 25 to AED 30 depending on the route, a journey time of roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, and departures from as early as 4:20am. This guide compares all three routes side by side: which Dubai station to use, the Abu Dhabi to Dubai bus timings for the return trip, how the Nol card works, and how to reach Zayed International Airport. Fares and times below were checked against the RTA journey planner and Abu Dhabi Mobility’s official inter-emirates listing in late October 2026.

Dubai to Abu Dhabi Bus — Quick Facts

Route	E100	E101	E102
Dubai station	Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (Bur Dubai)	Ibn Battuta Bus Station	Al Jafiliya Bus Station
Abu Dhabi end	Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (Al Wahda)	Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (Al Wahda)	Zayed International Airport, Terminal A (Mussafah on weekends)
One-way fare	AED 30	AED 25	AED 25
Journey time	About 2 hours to 2h 15m	About 1h 45m	About 1h 45m
First bus (Dubai → Abu Dhabi)	4:20am	5:20am	Early morning, roughly hourly
Last bus (Dubai → Abu Dhabi)	11:50pm (later on weekends)	1:20am next day	Late evening
Frequency	Every 20–30 minutes	Every 20–30 minutes	Roughly every hour
Payment	Nol card or RTA intercity eTicket	Nol card or RTA intercity eTicket	Nol card
Best for	Bur Dubai, Deira, Karama, Satwa, Old Dubai	Marina, JLT, JBR, Al Barsha, Jebel Ali — fastest route	Flights from Zayed International Airport; Mussafah (weekends)

Last verified: 2 November 2026. Intercity timetables change on public holidays and during Ramadan — confirm your exact departure in the RTA S’hail app or Wojhati journey planner on the day you travel.

Which Dubai to Abu Dhabi Bus Should You Take?

The right route depends on where in Dubai you start and where in Abu Dhabi you need to end up:

• Choose E100 if you are in Bur Dubai, Deira, Karama, Satwa or anywhere near the Creek. It leaves from Al Ghubaiba, next to Al Ghubaiba Metro station on the Green Line, and is the busiest of the three routes.
• Choose E101 if you are in “new Dubai” — Dubai Marina, JLT, JBR, Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens or Jebel Ali. It leaves from Ibn Battuta, beside the Red Line Metro station and Ibn Battuta Mall, and is the fastest of the three at about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Choose E102 if you are flying from Zayed International Airport (Terminal A) or, on weekends, heading to Mussafah. It leaves from Al Jafiliya Bus Station, near Max Metro station on the Red Line.

All three routes converge on the same Abu Dhabi stops at Samha and Shahama Village before reaching the city, so if your destination is Shahama or Samha, any of them works.

E100 Bus: Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi Central

The E100 is the original and most frequent Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus. It runs from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

— also called Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station or Al Wahda Bus Station — on Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street (Muroor Road), opposite Al Wahda Mall.

E100 timings

From Dubai, the first E100 leaves Al Ghubaiba at 4:20am and the last bus departs at around 11:50pm on weekdays, with services running later — to roughly 12:15–12:20am — on Saturdays and Sundays. Buses run every 20 to 30 minutes through the day, so you rarely need to plan around a specific departure; just arrive and take the next bus. The scheduled journey time is about 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes, depending on Sheikh Zayed Road traffic.

From Abu Dhabi, the return E100 from Abu Dhabi Central starts at about 4:30am, with the last bus at 11:50pm on weekdays and around 12:20am on weekends.

E100 stops

Towards Abu Dhabi the E100 stops only at:

1. Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (Dubai)
2. Samha
3. Shahama Village
4. Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

Towards Dubai, the bus makes the same Abu Dhabi stops and then adds two Dubai-side stops — Max Metro Bus Stop Landside and Department of Ports & Customs — before terminating at Al Ghubaiba. See our dedicated E100 bus route guide for the full stop-by-stop timetable.

E100 fare

The E100 fare is AED 30 one way (AED 60 return). Note that many older guides still list AED 25 for this route: Abu Dhabi Mobility’s inter-emirates page lists the Dubai services at AED 25, but RTA journey planner results checked in October 2026 quote AED 30 for the E100 specifically, while the E101 remains AED 25 — Gulf News has likewise described intercity fares as “AED 25 to AED 30 depending on route”. Budget AED 30 for the E100 and confirm the fare in the S’hail app before you travel.

E101 Bus: Ibn Battuta to Abu Dhabi Central

The E101 is the fastest Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus and the best option for anyone staying in new Dubai. It runs from Ibn Battuta Bus Station, next to Ibn Battuta Metro station (Red Line) and Ibn Battuta Mall, to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station.

E101 timings

From Dubai, buses start at about 5:20am and run until around 1:20am the next day. From Abu Dhabi Central, the first return bus leaves at 4:30am and the last at around 2:00am, with over 50 departures a day in each direction. Frequency is every 20 to 30 minutes, and the journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes — the E101 joins the Abu Dhabi road sooner than the E100, which is why it is quicker despite covering a similar distance.

E101 stops and fare

The E101 stops at Ibn Battuta, Samha, Shahama Village and Abu Dhabi Central in both directions (a few guides list only three stops, omitting Shahama Village — the four-stop pattern is the one shown by most timetable sources). The fare is AED 25 one way (AED 50 return), the cheapest of the three routes. Our E101 bus guide has the full timetable for both directions.

E102 Bus: Al Jafiliya to Zayed International Airport & Mussafah

The E102 is the airport route. Since a schedule change in May 2024, the E102 runs from Al Jafiliya Bus Station in Dubai (near Max Metro station, Red Line) directly to Zayed International Airport, Terminal A in Abu Dhabi, calling at Ibn Battuta on the way. It continues to Mussafah (Shabiya Bus Station) on weekends only — on weekdays, Mussafah passengers should ride to the airport or Abu Dhabi Central and connect from there. The fare is AED 25, the journey to the airport takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and buses run roughly every hour from early morning until late evening.

One caution: older guides describe the E102 as a simple Ibn Battuta–Mussafah bus, and some pages still show the airport’s old name (Terminals 1 and 3). The airport terminal is now Terminal A of Zayed International Airport. Because this route’s pattern has changed more than once, check the E102’s stops for your exact date in the S’hail app before relying on it — our E102 bus guide tracks the current pattern.

Other ways to reach Zayed International Airport

If the E102 times do not suit your flight, you have two alternatives. A separate Airport Express coach runs between Ibn Battuta and Zayed International Airport roughly every hour — confirm its current fare on the airport’s official website, as published prices have changed since launch. Or take the E100/E101 to Abu Dhabi Central and continue to the airport on an Abu Dhabi city bus (route A2 serves the bus station corridor and continues to the airport; pay with a Hafilat card, not Nol). There is no direct bus from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Abu Dhabi — from DXB you must first cross Dubai to Ibn Battuta or Al Ghubaiba by Metro or taxi. For a flight, work backwards from your bag-drop deadline, not the departure time, and take a bus at least one departure earlier than you think you need.

How to Take the Dubai to Abu Dhabi Bus: Step by Step

1. Get a Nol card. Intercity buses do not take cash from the driver. Buy a Nol card at any Metro or bus station (Silver card costs AED 25 including AED 19 credit) and make sure it holds at least the full fare before you board — AED 30 for the E100, AED 25 for the E101/E102.
2. Or book an RTA intercity eTicket. For the E100 and E101, RTA’s intercity eTicket lets you pick a date, time and seat online in advance — useful on Thursday evenings and holiday weekends when queues build. The eTicket page did not list the E102 in its most recent check.
3. Reach your Dubai station. Al Ghubaiba (Green Line Metro), Ibn Battuta (Red Line) or Al Jafiliya (walk from Max Metro station, Red Line).
4. Queue at the right bay and tap in. Follow the station signs for your route number, queue, and tap your Nol card on the reader as you board. The full one-way fare is charged at tap-in. Seats are first-come, first-served on Nol payments.
5. Ride and get down. Alight at Samha, Shahama Village, Abu Dhabi Central, or — on the E102 — Zayed International Airport Terminal A / Mussafah (weekends).
6. For the return, the same route numbers run back from Abu Dhabi: E100 and E101 from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station, E102 from the airport/Mussafah side.

Nol Card Rules You Need to Know

• Nol only for payment. Drivers do not accept cash. On the Abu Dhabi side, Nol cards and top-ups have been sold at Abu Dhabi Central’s customer counters, but availability varies — arrive in Abu Dhabi with enough balance for your return trip.
• Hafilat is a different card. Your Nol card does not work on Abu Dhabi city buses. If you plan to ride local buses in Abu Dhabi (for example to the airport or the Corniche), you need a separate Hafilat card issued by Abu Dhabi Mobility.
• No concession discounts on intercity routes. The usual Nol discounts for students and seniors do not apply on intercity buses — everyone pays the full fare.
• Top up before you queue. You can add balance at Metro and bus stations, via the Nol Pay app, or on the RTA website. Queues at Al Ghubaiba and Ibn Battuta are longest before weekends and on public holidays — arriving 15 minutes early is sensible.

Rules on Board

RTA’s official bus rules apply on all intercity routes. Eating and drinking on board carries a fine of AED 100, and travelling without paying the fare — or failing to show your Nol card when asked — is fined AED 200. Smoking, spitting and littering are also AED 200 offences. Bulky luggage is not allowed inside the bus and luggage must never block the gangway; standard suitcases go in the luggage hold or overhead space where provided. Board through the front door and alight from the rear, and women and children may use the front rows. Full details are on the RTA Dubai Bus page.

Bus vs Taxi vs Train: Is the Bus Worth It?

For most travellers, yes. A metered taxi between Dubai and Abu Dhabi costs roughly AED 250–350 one way, and the drive takes a similar 1.5–2 hours in traffic. Driving yourself means fuel plus Darb tolls in Abu Dhabi. The new Etihad Rail passenger service is faster station-to-station (about 64 minutes, with fares reported from AED 39 in October 2026), but you still need to reach and leave its stations at both ends. The bus is the only option that is both door-to-city-centre and under AED 30 — which is why the E100 and E101 queues are full of commuters, not just tourists.

Onward Travel from Abu Dhabi

From Abu Dhabi Central you can connect across the emirate: city buses with a Hafilat card, the direct Abu Dhabi to Sharjah bus (route 117), or head south on the Dubai to Al Ain corridor services from Al Ain’s side.

Abu Dhabi Mobility’s official inter-emirates services page lists every route and fare band from the capital.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Routes

• E100 Bus: Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi — full timetable
• E101 Bus: Ibn Battuta to Abu Dhabi — full timetable
• E102 Bus: Al Jafiliya to Abu Dhabi Airport & Mussafah
• Abu Dhabi to Sharjah Bus (Route 117)
• Dubai to Al Ain Bus (E201)