Baniyas Bus Station is the bus hub of Baniyas, Abu Dhabi’s mainland suburb out on the Al Ain road — and the name needs one clarification: this is Baniyas West and Baniyas East in Abu Dhabi, not Baniyas Square in Dubai. Abu Dhabi Mobility’s route documents name the A40 airport bus’s terminus here, listed as “Baniyas West, Baniyas West Bus Station”, and the streets around the terminus carry the suburb’s web of city, hospital and workers’-city routes. For Baniyas families and the workers of Al Wathba and Al Mafraq, this is where the bus network starts.
This guide covers the station and the stops around it: the A40, the 490 to Al Ain, the city routes into Khalifa Street, the Mafraq hospital runs, timings, and the Hafilat payment rules. Full timetables live in the Darbi app. Looking for Dubai’s Baniyas Square instead? A short section further down points you the right way.
| Baniyas Bus Station — Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baniyas West, Abu Dhabi — by the Baniyas West bus depot (St 31 side), off the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road (E22) |
| Operator | Abu Dhabi Mobility (formerly the Integrated Transport Centre, ITC) |
| Route starting here | A40 to Al Shahama Bus Station, via Zayed International Airport |
| Al Ain bus | 490 from the St 1 / Baniyas Court stop to Al Ain Central Bus Station |
| City routes | 400 · 401 · 402 · 403 · 405 to Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi city centre |
| Hospital & local routes | 240 · 420 · 443 · 444 · 447 — Mafraq Hospital, LifeCare Hospital and Bawabat Al Sharq side |
| Payment | Hafilat card on all Abu Dhabi Mobility buses — no cash, Nol NOT accepted |
| Distance to Abu Dhabi Central | Roughly 30 km — the 402 is the direct city link |
| Help | Abu Dhabi Mobility support 800 850 · Darbi app for live times |
Routes from Baniyas Bus Station
Route A40: to Shahama, via the airport
The A40 is the station’s own route — the one service that starts and finishes at the terminus stop itself. From the terminus it threads out through Baniyas’s streets (the Court, souq and Old Souq stops), passes the Al Mafraq Mall side of the corridor, and calls at Zayed International Airport before running on through the Deerfields Mall side of Al Bahia to its other terminus at Shahama Bus Station. That makes it two useful buses in one: Baniyas’s direct airport link, and a cross-suburb connection to the Shahama corridor.
It is not a quick ride. The published pattern runs to around 41–42 stops and the best part of an hour and three-quarters end to end, with a service window of roughly 5:15 AM to 10:15 PM in the feed data. Treat it as a steady regional bus rather than an airport express: fine if you start from Baniyas in good time, risky if you are cutting a flight close.
Route 490: the Al Ain bus from Baniyas Court
Baniyas also has a direct Al Ain bus — it just does not use the A40’s terminus stop. A few minutes’ walk away at St 1 / Baniyas Court, by the courts complex, the 490 runs between Al Ain Central Bus Station and the airport’s Terminal 2, calling at Baniyas Court in both directions. It is an infrequent, long-distance pattern — the feed shows departures from Baniyas Court roughly every two hours, the first Al Ain-bound bus at around 5:18 AM — so plan around its timetable rather than simply turning up. In the other direction it is a second airport option alongside the A40.
City routes: 400 to 405 into Khalifa Street
The workhorses of Baniyas are the city routes that run from the suburb’s streets into Khalifa Street in Al Danah, the city-centre corridor a short walk from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station — covered in our Al Wahda Bus Station guide. The feed lists the Baniyas set as:
| Route | Goes to | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | Al Wathba Worker City ↔ Khalifa Street | The Al Wathba workers’-city link to the city centre |
| 401 | Baniyas Souq side ↔ the city and the Grand Mosque / Saadiyat side | The long cross-city run from the souq stops |
| 402 | Al Wathba Souq ↔ Khalifa Street | The main Baniyas–city service — among the first buses of the day, from around 5:15 AM |
| 403 | Obada Bin Al Samit Mosque ↔ Khalifa Street | The Baniyas East side’s city link |
| 405 | Baniyas Souq ↔ Khalifa Street | A second souq-to-city path |
Between them, Baniyas is well tied to the centre: the ride is roughly 30 km, and on the standard Hafilat formula the fare works out at roughly AED 3–4. The 402 is the one most residents build their commute around; the others fill the gaps for Al Wathba and the Baniyas East streets.
Corridor and hospital routes: 240, 420, 443, 444 and 447
The second web of routes ties Baniyas east and north — to the hospitals and workers’ cities of Al Mafraq and Shakhbout City, and to Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Baniyas East:
| Route | Goes to | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 240 | Al Rahba Hospital ↔ LifeCare Hospital | The Baniyas West corridor run to the Al Mafraq Workers City |
| 420 | Al Rahba Hospital ↔ LifeCare Hospital | The same link by the Shakhbout City side — the two routes take different roads |
| 443 | Sama International Complex ↔ Shakhbout City (Mafraq Hospital side) | Via Baniyas Court, the Old Souq and Bawabat Al Sharq; roughly every two hours |
| 444 | Mafraq Hospital ↔ LifeCare Hospital | The hospital-to-workers’-city link calling at Baniyas Court |
| 447 | Baniyas East, Bawabat Al Sharq Mall ↔ Al Wathba South Prison | The Baniyas East local — around 39 stops, roughly 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Transit listings also show a 407 (city centre to the Al Raha side) calling at the station stop — check Darbi for its current pattern. The hospital routes matter here: Mafraq Hospital is now Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, and the 443 and 444 are the buses its Baniyas staff and visitors actually use.
One Station, Several Stops
Keep your expectations of the “station” itself practical. Baniyas West is a modest suburban terminus rather than a big terminal building: the A40’s terminus stop sits by the Baniyas West bus depot (the feed’s St 31 / Baniyas West Bus Depot stop is a few minutes’ walk away), and most Baniyas passengers never use it day to day. The suburb’s real bus life spreads across the street stops nearby: St 1 / Baniyas Court for the 490, 402, 420, 240 and the hospital routes; Street 2 / Souq and St 14 / Baniyas Old Souq for the A40 and city routes; and the Bawabat Al Sharq Mall stops in Baniyas East. Learn which stop your route uses — in Baniyas, the stop matters more than the station.
Baniyas Bus Station Timings
The suburb’s rhythm is consistent. The first buses move from around 5:05–5:20 AM — the 490 and the 402 among the earliest — the A40’s published window runs roughly 5:15 AM to 10:15 PM, and the city and hospital routes run into the evening, the last buses (the 447 at Bawabat Al Sharq) reaching around midnight. The thin routes are the trap: the 490 and 443 run to gaps of roughly two hours, so a missed bus is a long wait. Friday and public-holiday patterns differ — check your exact departure in the Darbi app.
How to Reach Baniyas Bus Station
By bus from Abu Dhabi city: take the 402 towards Al Wathba Souq, or the 400, 401, 403 or 405 from the Khalifa Street stops in Al Danah. From the airport, the A40 runs to the Baniyas West terminus and the 490 to Baniyas Court. From Mussafah, ride the 210 or 216 from Mussafah Bus Station to Shahama and change onto the A40. From Al Ain, the 490 brings you to Baniyas Court.
By car or taxi: Baniyas sits off the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road (E22), south-east of the city — follow the Baniyas West exits and aim for the courts and souq side, where the main stops cluster. Taxis know Baniyas Court and Bawabat Al Sharq Mall; for the A40 terminus, “Baniyas West, near the bus depot” is the description that lands.
Looking for Baniyas Square, Dubai?
A quick rescue for a common mix-up: Baniyas Square is in Dubai — a Green Line Metro station in Deira, on Baniyas Road by Dubai Creek. There is no bus station of this name in Dubai; the Square is served by Metro trains and ordinary city bus stops. If your journey is in Abu Dhabi’s Baniyas, out on the Al Ain road, you are in the right place here.
Facilities and Tickets
Baniyas West is a working suburban terminus, not a landmark terminal: expect the terminus stop and sheltered street stops with timetable information, with the souq, the Cooperative Society shops and Baniyas Court covering errands around them.
For the Hafilat card itself, do not count on a sales office out here: cards are sold at Abu Dhabi Central and the other main stations, at recharge machines and at partner outlets such as Lulu and SPAR. Buy and load your card before you need a Baniyas bus — cash is not accepted on board.
Hafilat: Paying at Baniyas
Every bus in this guide is an Abu Dhabi Mobility service paid with a Hafilat card. Cash is not accepted on board, and your Dubai Nol card will not work in Baniyas. An anonymous Hafilat card costs AED 10. Fares are distance-based: AED 2 boarding plus 5 fils per kilometre, capped at AED 5 for journeys over 60 km — so the city ride works out at roughly AED 3–4, and even the long 490 run to Al Ain costs no more than the AED 5 cap. Tap in when you board and tap out when you leave: forgetting to tap out charges the maximum fare. Transfers within 60 minutes of tapping out waive the second AED 2 boarding fee, and children aged 10 and below travel free. Current card rules are on the Abu Dhabi Mobility website.
Tips for Using Baniyas Bus Station
- Know your stop, not just your route: the A40 uses the Baniyas West terminus, the 490 uses St 1 / Baniyas Court, and the city routes spread across the souq and Old Souq stops. They are close, but not interchangeable.
- Build your commute on the 402: it is the suburb’s main city service and one of its earliest, running from around 5:15 AM. The 400, 403 and 405 are the fill-ins, not the backbone.
- Plan around the thin routes: the 490 to Al Ain and the 443 run to gaps of roughly two hours. Screenshot your departure in Darbi before you leave the house.
- Use the A40 for the airport — with time to spare: it is a direct, cheap run to Zayed International Airport, but it meanders through Baniyas and Al Mafraq first. Leave a wide buffer before a flight.
- Carry a loaded Hafilat card: there is no cash fallback on any Baniyas bus and no sales office to count on at the terminus. Top up at a main station, a machine or a partner shop.
- Tap out, every time: Abu Dhabi fares are calculated on tap-out. A forgotten tap-out means the maximum fare, deducted on your next trip.
Where is Baniyas Bus Station located?
In Baniyas West, Abu Dhabi — the mainland suburb off the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road (E22), roughly 30 km south-east of the city centre, by the Baniyas West bus depot. Abu Dhabi Mobility’s route documents list the A40’s terminus as “Baniyas West, Baniyas West Bus Station”. It is not in Dubai: see the Baniyas Square question below.
Which buses start from Baniyas Bus Station?
The A40 is the route that terminates at the station stop itself, running to Al Shahama Bus Station via Zayed International Airport. Most other routes — the 490, the 400–405 city routes, the 443, 444 and 447 — use the street stops a few minutes’ walk away, around Baniyas Court and the souq.
Is Baniyas Bus Station the same as Baniyas Square in Dubai?
No. Baniyas Square is a Dubai Metro station (Green Line) in Deira, on Baniyas Road by the Creek — there is no bus station there. Baniyas Bus Station is in Abu Dhabi’s Baniyas suburb, on the mainland out towards Al Ain. The similar names catch people out every week.
Is there a bus from Baniyas to Abu Dhabi city centre?
Yes — several. The 402 to Khalifa Street is the main service, and the 400, 401, 403 and 405 run into the city centre from the Baniyas and Al Wathba side. The ride is roughly 30 km and costs roughly AED 3–4 on a Hafilat card.
Is there a bus from Baniyas to Al Ain?
Yes — the 490, from the St 1 / Baniyas Court stop, runs to Al Ain Central Bus Station. It is an infrequent long-distance service (roughly every two hours on the feed pattern, first bus around 5:18 AM), so check Darbi before travelling. The fare is capped at AED 5 by the Hafilat formula.
Is there a bus from Baniyas to Zayed International Airport?
Yes — two. The A40 calls at the airport on its way between Baniyas West and Shahama, and the 490 runs from Baniyas Court to the airport’s Terminal 2. Both are Hafilat services; allow plenty of time, as neither is an express.
Can I pay cash on buses from Baniyas?
No. Every Abu Dhabi Mobility bus takes the Hafilat card only — cash is not accepted on board, and Dubai Nol cards do not work. An anonymous Hafilat card costs AED 10 from the main stations, recharge machines and partner outlets such as Lulu and SPAR — buy one before you travel.
What time is the first and last bus from Baniyas?
The first buses leave from around 5:05–5:20 AM — the 490 and 402 earliest — and the last Baniyas East services run to around midnight. The A40’s window is roughly 5:15 AM to 10:15 PM. Friday and holiday timetables differ; check Darbi for your route and day.
Related Routes
- Shahama Bus Station Abu Dhabi: Routes & Timings
- Mussafah Bus Station Abu Dhabi: Routes & Timings
- Al Wahda Bus Station Abu Dhabi: Routes & Timings
Daniyal Sheikh
Transport Editor, UAE Travel Hub
Dubai daily commuter covering the Metro, Nol cards, RTA buses and intercity routes across all seven emirates — every fare and timing checked against official RTA, ITC and SRTA sources.