Dubai to Al Ain Bus: Timings, Fare & Routes

The Dubai to Al Ain bus — RTA route E201 — is the only public transport link between Dubai and the Garden City. It runs directly from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai to Al Ain Central Bus Station, takes a scheduled 2 hours 15 minutes, costs AED 30, and runs from as early as 3:20am until late at night, roughly every hour. This guide covers the Al Ain to Dubai bus timing in both directions, the full stop list, how to pay with Nol or book RTA’s intercity eTicket, and what to know about onward buses once you reach Al Ain — where Dubai’s Nol card no longer works.

Dubai to Al Ain Bus — Quick Facts

Detail	Dubai → Al Ain (E201)	Al Ain → Dubai (E201)
Route	E201 — RTA intercity bus, direct, no change of bus
Departs from	Al Ghubaiba Bus Station, stand 12 (Bur Dubai, near Al Ghubaiba Metro, Green Line)	Al Ain Central Bus Station, stand 01 (near Al Ain Mall & Al Ain Oasis)
Fare	AED 30 one way (older guides may still show AED 25 — see fare note below)
Journey time	2 hours 15 minutes scheduled (allow 2.5 hours in heavy traffic)
First bus	3:20am (Mon–Fri) · 4:20am (Sat–Sun)	6:00am (Mon–Fri) · 7:00am (Sat–Sun)
Last bus	10:00pm (Mon–Fri) · 11:20pm (Sat–Sun)	12:50am next day (Mon–Fri) · 2:00am next day (Sat–Sun)
Frequency	Roughly every hour (every 40–60 minutes at weekends)
Payment	Nol card (tap in) or RTA intercity eTicket booked online — no cash on board
Distance	About 140 km via the Dubai–Al Ain Road (E66)

Last verified: 2 November 2026, from RTA timetable data and journey planner results (October 2026). Times after midnight belong to the previous evening’s service. Always confirm your departure in the S’hail app or Wojhati journey planner before travelling.

Dubai to Al Ain Bus Timings (from Al Ghubaiba)

The E201 leaves from stand 12 at Al Ghubaiba Bus Station. On weekdays (Monday to Friday) the first bus is at 3:20am — one of the earliest intercity departures in the UAE — and buses then run roughly every hour until the last bus at 10:00pm. A typical weekday departure pattern is:

Morning	3:20 · 4:30 · 5:35 · 6:35 · 7:40 · 8:50 · 9:55 · 10:50 · 11:50
Afternoon	12:45 · 1:40 · 2:40 · 3:40 · 4:25 · 5:10
Evening	6:05 · 7:00 · 8:00 · 9:00 · 10:00 (last bus)

On Saturdays and Sundays the service starts later, at 4:20am, but runs more frequently (every 40–50 minutes) and finishes later, with the last bus at 11:20pm. Every departure takes a scheduled 2 hours 15 minutes — so the 7:40am bus reaches Al Ain at about 9:55am, and the last weekday bus arrives at around 12:15am. If you are coming from Deira, Karama or Satwa, Al Ghubaiba is easy to reach: it sits directly beside Al Ghubaiba Metro station on the Green Line.

Al Ain to Dubai Bus Timings (from Al Ain Central)

For the return direction, buses leave from stand 01 at Al Ain Central Bus Station — the ITC-run station in central Al Ain, near Al Ain Mall and Al Ain Oasis. On weekdays the first bus is at 6:00am and departures run on the hour, every hour, through the day:

Hourly departures	6:00 · 7:00 · 8:00 · 9:00 · 10:00 · 11:00 · 12:00 · 1:00 · 2:00 · 3:00 · 4:00 · 5:00 · 6:00 · 7:00 · 8:00 · 9:00 (pm)
Later evening services	Additional departures continue after 9:00pm, with the last bus at 12:50am (Mon–Fri) and 2:00am (Sat–Sun)
Weekend first bus	7:00am (Sat–Sun), then roughly every 40–60 minutes

The on-the-hour pattern makes the Al Ain to Dubai bus timing easy to remember: whichever hour you reach the station, a bus leaves on the hour. One warning from the timetable data: do not simply assume the return journey mirrors the outbound stop order or stand numbers — check the departure board at the station. And if you are making a day trip from Dubai, note the last return bus time before you leave Al Ghubaiba in the morning; miss the late buses and the only way back is a taxi costing several times the fare.

E201 Bus Stops

The verified stop sequence towards Dubai (the same stops are served in reverse towards Al Ain) is:

1. Al Ain Central Bus Station (stand 01)
2. Al Madina Petrol Station
3. Eid Praying Ground
4. Al Slimi Park
5. Al Ain Gift Markets
6. Al Qattara Oasis East
7. Wasl — Wasl Club
8. Al Jafiliya Bus Station (Dubai)
9. Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (stand 12)

Nine stops in total. The useful one for many Dubai passengers is Al Jafiliya Bus Station: it is a short walk from Max Metro station on the Red Line, so if you live along Sheikh Zayed Road or in Jumeirah/Al Wasl, joining or leaving the E201 at Al Jafiliya can save you the trip across to Bur Dubai. Some older guides list extra stops (such as Dubai Industrial City or UAE University) — those do not appear in the current planner sequence, so do not rely on them.

Fare and How to Pay: Nol Card or eTicket

The E201 fare is AED 30 one way in each direction (AED 60 return), according to RTA journey planner results checked in October 2026. You will still find AED 25 in many guides — that was the long-standing fare, and most blogs have not updated it; the same AED 25-to-30 revision shows on the planner for the Al Ghubaiba–Abu Dhabi E100. If your S’hail app quotes a fare on the day, that is the fare that applies.

• Nol card only on board. RTA buses do not accept cash or coins, and you cannot pay the driver by bank card. Tap your Nol card when boarding; make sure it holds at least AED 30 — the general minimum check-in balance is not enough for this trip.
• Buy or top up Nol at Al Ghubaiba or Al Ain station counters, Metro stations, RTA machines and kiosks, or via the Nol Pay / RTA apps. If you arrive in Al Ain without a card, buy one at the station before your return journey.
• Or book the RTA intercity eTicket. The E201 is one of the routes in RTA’s online intercity eTicket system: choose your date and time, book your seat, and use the dedicated boarding lane and seating area at the station. On busy weekends this is the safest way to guarantee a seat on a specific departure.

How to Take the Bus: Step by Step

1. Reach Al Ghubaiba (Green Line Metro to Al Ghubaiba station) or Al Jafiliya if boarding at the intermediate stop.
2. Check the board for the E201 bay — at Al Ghubaiba the Al Ain bus uses stand 12 — and confirm the next departure.
3. Tap in with Nol (or show your eTicket) and take your seat. Keep your card and ticket/receipt until you alight; inspectors do check intercity buses.
4. Ride 2 hours 15 minutes down the Dubai–Al Ain Road. Keep water and a snack for the journey — eating and drinking on board RTA buses is fined, so consume them before you board or after you arrive.
5. Alight at Al Ain Central Bus Station (stand 01) — or earlier at Al Qattara Oasis East or Al Slimi Park if those suit your destination better.

When You Arrive in Al Ain: The Hafilat Warning

Al Ain is part of the Abu Dhabi transport system, not Dubai’s. Its local buses are run by the Integrated Transport Centre and paid for with a Hafilat card (local fare around AED 2) — your Nol card does not work on Al Ain’s local buses, even though it paid for the E201 that brought you there. Al Ain Central Bus Station has air-conditioned waiting areas, ticket counters and machines, and sits within walking distance of Al Ain Mall and Al Ain Oasis. From Al Ain you can also connect onward: Abu Dhabi city services and the Sharjah corridor (route 118 is described in our Abu Dhabi to Sharjah bus guide). If you are instead heading to the capital first, compare this route with the Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus — the E100 bus from the same Al Ghubaiba station.

Rules and Practical Tips

• Carry ID. Keep your Emirates ID or passport with you on intercity journeys, along with your eTicket confirmation if you booked online.
• Arrive 15 minutes early at peak times. The E201 is a single hourly service — if you miss your bus or it is full, the next one is about an hour later.
• On-board rules: RTA fines apply — eating and drinking AED 100, travelling without a valid payment AED 200, smoking or littering AED 200. Bulky luggage is not allowed inside the bus; keep the gangway clear.
• Comfort: the coaches are air-conditioned with luggage space by the door and priority seating for women, children, elderly passengers and People of Determination. Mobile signal is good for most of the E66 corridor.
• Alternatives compared: a taxi between Dubai and Al Ain costs roughly AED 130–150, and rideshare apps around AED 80–120 depending on demand (blog-reported figures). Driving yourself, fuel is roughly AED 40–70 one way. There is no flight or train on this corridor — the bus at AED 30 is by far the cheapest option.
• Questions on the day: RTA’s call centre is 800 9090 inside the UAE (24/7), or +971 4 605 1414 from overseas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Routes

• Dubai to Abu Dhabi Bus: E100, E101 & E102
• E100 Bus: Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi — full timetable
• Abu Dhabi to Sharjah Bus (Route 117)