Every emirate, every direction: the routes that work
Seven emirates, one coastal highway and two bypasses do most of the work. This is the whole country's driving cheat-sheet: both directions, realistic times, the rush windows that double them, and the bus when you'd rather not fight it. Bookmark it; the roads don't change, only the clock does.
Routes at a glance
Schematic, not to scale: E11 coastal · E311 commuter bypass · E611 outer bypass · E84 to the east coast · E22 to Al Ain. Tables below give the times.
Live map, whole country
Zoom into your corridor before leaving. Live data by Waze.
Dubai ↔ Sharjah
| Direction | Best route | Time | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai → Sharjah | Ittihad E11 (day) · E311 evenings | 20-30 min off-peak | 4:30-8:30 pm |
| Sharjah → Dubai | E311 mornings · Ittihad after 10 am | 20-35 min off-peak | 6:30-9:30 am |
Full hour-by-hour playbook: Dubai-Sharjah route guide.
Dubai ↔ Abu Dhabi
| Direction | Best route | Time | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai → Abu Dhabi | E11 from Jebel Ali side · E311→E11 from New Dubai | 75-90 min | 7-9 am (AD-bound commuters) |
| Abu Dhabi → Dubai | Same roads, mirrored | 75-90 min | 5-7:30 pm |
Bus instead: AED 25, every 15-30 min; see the E100/E101 guide. Speed cameras are relentless; 140 km/h limit sections still ticket at 141.
Dubai ↔ Ajman & Umm Al Quwain
| Direction | Best route | Time | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai → Ajman | E311 to Ajman exit (skip Sharjah city entirely) | 35-45 min | Evenings via Ittihad: never |
| Ajman/UAQ → Dubai | E311; join after the Sharjah merge | 40-55 min | 6:30-9:30 am |
| Dubai → UAQ | E311 straight through | 45-55 min | Friday 3-7 pm |
Ajman sits behind Sharjah, so every Sharjah rule applies with ten minutes added. UAQ traffic is the lightest in the country once you're past the Sharjah belt.
Dubai ↔ Ras Al Khaimah
| Direction | Best route | Time | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai → RAK | E311 to E11 north · E611 at peak | 60-75 min | Thu/Fri afternoons (weekend rush to Jebel Jais) |
| RAK → Dubai | E11 south to E311 | 60-80 min | Sunday evening returns |
Full guide with bus and Jebel Jais add-on: Dubai to RAK.
Dubai ↔ Fujairah (east coast)
| Direction | Best route | Time | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai → Fujairah | E611 → E84 (Sheikh Khalifa Hwy) through the mountains | ~90 min | Fri morning beach exodus |
| Fujairah → Dubai | E84 → E611 | ~90-105 min | Sat/Sun evening returns |
The E84 tunnel route killed the old winding drive: smooth highway the whole way. Fuel up before the mountains; stations thin out.
Shortcuts locals actually use
The difference between a resident and a tourist in Dubai traffic is about six road names. These are the legal, everyday workarounds; none of them are secrets, they just never make the brochures.
1. Al Khail Road (E44): the permanent SZR escape
Whenever Sheikh Zayed Road locks up between Downtown and Mall of the Emirates, Al Khail runs parallel two kilometres inland and usually moves. Cross over on Umm Suqeim Street or Meydan Road, ride Al Khail, cross back near your exit. Evenings it carries its own load, but it fails slower than SZR.
2. The toll-free creek crossings
Garhoud Bridge and Maktoum Bridge charge Salik at peak and queue accordingly. Business Bay Crossing and the Floating Bridge (daytime hours) have historically been toll-free: two minutes longer on the map, often ten minutes faster in reality, and AED 4-6 cheaper. Going Deira side from Business Bay, the Business Bay Crossing plus Al Khaleej Road is the move.
3. Entering Sharjah through the back door
Evening Ittihad is non-negotiable misery, so residents enter Sharjah from the east instead: E311 or E611 to the Maliha Road (S112) or University City exits, then into the city against the flow. You drive more kilometres and arrive earlier, calmer, and with fuel to spare.
4. Al Wasl and Jumeirah Beach Road for short coastal hops
For anything between Downtown and Umm Suqeim, the two coastal parallels beat joining SZR for one exit. Traffic lights, yes, but they keep rolling when the highway stands still, and the view is better company.
5. Dubai-Al Ain Road (E66) as the southeast slip
From Business Bay or Downtown heading to Academic City, Silicon Oasis or out toward Al Ain, E66 via Meydan skips both SZR and the Ras Al Khor industrial tangle. It also connects neatly to Expo Road works for Jebel Ali-bound traffic when E311 jams.
6. The airport sneak
Terminal 1 and 2 runs from the Bur Dubai side: Sheikh Rashid Road to the Infinity Bridge, then Al Khaleej Road. It dodges the Garhoud squeeze entirely and drops you at Terminal 2's quieter approach. For Terminal 3 from New Dubai, Al Khail to Ras Al Khor to Marrakech Street beats SZR's airport tunnel crawl at peak.
Abu Dhabi ↔ Al Ain & the rest
| Corridor | Route | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi ↔ Al Ain | E22 truck-free highway | ~90 min | Smooth at almost all hours |
| Sharjah ↔ Fujairah | E88 via Masafi | ~75 min | Friday market traffic at Masafi |
| Sharjah ↔ RAK | E11 coastal or E311 | ~45-60 min | Light outside Sharjah city |
Quick answers
Do I need documents between emirates?
No borders, no checks: it's one country, drive straight through.
Which corridor is worst?
Dubai-Sharjah at rush hours, by a distance.
Cheapest way between emirates?
Intercity buses: AED 10-25 depending on the pair, all card-paid.
What is the best shortcut to avoid Salik?
Business Bay Crossing and the Floating Bridge have historically been toll-free creek crossings; Al Khail Road avoids the SZR Salik gates for north-south runs.
Fastest long hop?
Dubai-Fujairah via E84 surprises everyone: mountains to sea in ninety flat minutes.
Corridor deep-dives: Dubai-Sharjah · Abu Dhabi bus · Dubai-RAK · live traffic map.