World Country Guide

Travel - International

Note
Foreign nationals visiting the United Arab Emirates are advised to be very vigilant due to a significant terrorist threat to westerners. For further advice, contact the relevant local government travel advice department.

Air
The national airlines are Emirates (EK) (website: www.emirates.com) and Gulf Air (GF) (website: www.gulfairco.com). Emirates operates international flights to and from Dubai; Gulf Air serves all UAE airports. Emirates is expanding services to the Far East. Many other airlines operate scheduled services to Dubai.

Approximate flight times
From London to Abu Dhabi is six hours 35 minutes and to Dubai is seven hours; from Frankfurt/M to Dubai is six hours; from Hong Kong to Dubai is eight hours and from Nairobi to Dubai is four hours.

International airports
Abu Dhabi (AUH) is 32km (20 miles) east of the city (travel time – 40 minutes). Buses and taxis are available at the airport. Al Ghazal taxis operate a fixed-rate service. Airport facilities include duty free shop, bank, bar, snack bar, bureau de change, post office and car hire (includes Avis, Budget, Europcar and Thrifty).
Al Ain International Airport (AAN) is 13km (8 miles) northwest of Al Ain. Al Ghazal taxis operate a fixed-rate service to the city centre. Public buses serve the airport. There is a bank and bureau de change, ATM, two restaurants, coffee shop, 24-hour cafe, duty free complex, children's playground in landscaped gardens, and a medical centre.
Dubai (DXB) (website: www.dubaiairport.com) is 4km (2.5 miles) southeast of the city (travel time – 10 minutes). Taxis and buses are available at the airport. Bus stations are opposite both Terminal 1 and 2. Airport facilities include duty free shop, bank, post office, shops, car hire, restaurant, snack bar and bar. The airport consists of two terminals. Expansion plans are underway to provide a new third Terminal and two new passenger concourses, due to be completed by 2006.
Sharjah (SHJ) is 10km (6 miles) from the city. Taxis are available at the airport. Airport facilities include duty free shop, car hire, bar, restaurant, snack bar and bank (only open restricted hours). Ras al-Khaimah (RKT) is 15km (9 miles) from the city. Taxis are available at the airport. Airport facilities include a duty free shop and restaurant/snack bar.
There is also an airport at Fujairah with duty free facilities.

Departure tax
None.

Sea
The main international ports are Jebel Ali, Rashid and Zayed (Abu Dhabi), Khalid (Sharjah), Saqr (Ras al-Khaimah) and Fujairah. Cruises call at Abu Dhabi and the cruise terminal in Dubai, and there are passenger/cargo services to the USA, the Far East, Australia and Europe. There are regular sailings between Sharjah and Bandar-é-Abbas (Iran).

Road
There is a good road into Oman and a fair one into Qatar that connects with the Trans-Arabian Highway on the overland route to Europe. Buses run daily between Dubai and Muscat (Oman) and also between Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia.