# New Commute from Dubai Marina to Abu Dhabi



## beeniesmiles (Aug 8, 2011)

Hello my fellow expats!!

i know this topic has been discussed _ad nauseum_ regarding the dubai to abu dhabi commute, but i have some questions!!!

i've been in the dubai marina for the last year (love it & love dubai!) and now its looking like i may have to relocate my office to abu dhabi (new project/new client). 

can anyone tell me BY CAR 
a) how long it will take from dubai marina to the abu dhabi marina mall (rush hour)?? 
b) the best route to take there?

also, if there is anyone out there currently doing this commute on a daily basis and would maybe like a carpool buddy (a long commute with a companion beats a lonely one where you may potentially nod off!!) i would love to hear from you!

also, if anyones doing this commute on their own by car i would love to know your experience, how long youve been doing it and how close (or far) you are from killing yourself over it!

it would also be great to hear from anyone take a bus daily back and forth!

Thanks in advance! 

Beenie


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Have a friend who lives down that way off the corniche and was about an hour and twenty five to thirty minute drive if going during non rush hours. Going when there is traffic off the back way would add maybe ten to fifteen minutes only because there are only a few lights you will go through. Be careful though with those cameras as you head into abu dhabi and through yas island!

Driving to and from Abu Dhabi to Dubai once on 11 can really depend on if there are accidents. Many times on Thursdays, there are multiple accidents. It is a long drive to do on a five day a week basis.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

beeniesmiles said:


> can anyone tell me BY CAR
> a) how long it will take from dubai marina to the abu dhabi marina mall (rush hour)??
> b) the best route to take there?
> 
> ...


a) Dubai Marina to Marina Mall AUH will take 1 hr 20 minutes to 1 hr 30 min, if you drive between 120-130 kph
I do JLT to Chamber of Commerce and its always 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 15, and Marina Mall is 10 minutes further away

b) The best route is almost always taking the Yas Island exit and driving the entire length of the Corniche. This way you bypass the smaller congested roads of downtown Abu Dhabi. 
There is another way you can consider when returning, but it may be a bit complicated; you take the right on 30th road in the Corniche, then after ~7 km you take the left on Saada St, and then finally at the end of Saada St you join the new Salam St expressway by turning right.


I ahve been doing the commute for 6 months, it gets frustrating when there are accidents, otherwise its ok. Summer and Ramadan has been quieter than usual, but in general Thursdays from 4 to 7 pm the highway is very slow. 

On normal days peak hours are 7-830 am and again 5 to 7 pm


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

What trop said. I've been doing this drive on and off for the last few months. Don't think that from occasional drives to AD that it's not too bad. 5 return trips a week gets extremely wearing very quickly. The road's great in a physical sense it's just the f'wit drivers you encounter several times on every single drive that really get you down. The driving gets noticeably a lot worse on the AD side of ghantoot. UAE roads are also statically some of the most dangerous roads in the world and the ad-dxb road is no doubt one of the worst. If you're driving 70-80,000kms on that road very year that isn't something you should be blind about....


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## beeniesmiles (Aug 8, 2011)

thanks guys for all your help!

i'm originally from New York City so we're used to long commutes back and forth from work, and also familiar with morons on the road. nevertheless, as you mentioned, the driving in the UAE is some of the scariest i've seen anywhere, and some of the accidents i've witnessed are things you'd only imagine in the movies!

if anyone is interested in carpooling, i'll be starting this route, but on varying schedules daily, after Ramadan. i'd be more then happy to share the daily nightmare...err, adventure!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Is hard to get people to commute unless they are in the same office and working same hours. Around 3 hours a day of driving means people do not want to sit around after ten + hours of working even for 30 to 45 minutes extra to car pool unless they have to. Realistically, most expats on this website just do not have to. I think there was a website that is used here in the uae that I have seen that was quite active but can not remember it. Anyone?


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

beeniesmiles said:


> thanks guys for all your help!
> 
> i'm originally from New York City so we're used to long commutes back and forth from work, and also familiar with morons on the road. nevertheless, as you mentioned, the driving in the UAE is some of the scariest i've seen anywhere, and some of the accidents i've witnessed are things you'd only imagine in the movies!
> 
> if anyone is interested in carpooling, i'll be starting this route, but on varying schedules daily, after Ramadan. i'd be more then happy to share the daily nightmare...err, adventure!


If its any consolation, the driving standards here are far better than in some neighbouring countries like Saudi arabia. 

And even in the UAE, driving has become safer in the last 3 years, before that it was quite common to encounter at least 8-10 drivers in an hour doing 200 kph on the main AUH-DXB Highway; now you would probabaly see 1 of them in 2 hrs...


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## beeniesmiles (Aug 8, 2011)

Jynxgirl said:


> Is hard to get people to commute unless they are in the same office and working same hours. Around 3 hours a day of driving means people do not want to sit around after ten + hours of working even for 30 to 45 minutes extra to car pool unless they have to. Realistically, most expats on this website just do not have to. I think there was a website that is used here in the uae that I have seen that was quite active but can not remember it. Anyone?


you're absolutely right Jynx, i was just putting it out there in the event there was someone who was going this way, and if our schedules coordinated, it might be helpful!

i have however, resigned myself to the long drive with nothing but my coffee and my morning music!

thanks again!


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## Jodubai (Dec 7, 2011)

Hi I am new in the UAE, I have not yet started employment but will hopefully start this month or early January and will be commuting from Dubai Marina to Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Khalifa Medical City). I know your post was originally back in August but I was hoping that you have now started your job and the daily commute. I was wondering if you were still willing to have company? I would obviously like to get myself a car in the near future but wanted to get into my job first and start one thing at a time. I will be doing regular hours sunday to Thursday. 

Any reply would be great, Thank you


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## saima1215 (May 31, 2010)

Jodubai said:


> Hi I am new in the UAE, I have not yet started employment but will hopefully start this month or early January and will be commuting from Dubai Marina to Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Khalifa Medical City). I know your post was originally back in August but I was hoping that you have now started your job and the daily commute. I was wondering if you were still willing to have company? I would obviously like to get myself a car in the near future but wanted to get into my job first and start one thing at a time. I will be doing regular hours sunday to Thursday.
> 
> Any reply would be great, Thank you


Hi JoDubai. My husband travels daily (Sunday - Thursday) from JLT. He'll be on his leave until Jan 18th so after that you can join him. You can send me a PM for more details.


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

I have been doing the drive to AD from Dubai for the best part of 3 years now. You'll soon get used to it


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## Jodubai (Dec 7, 2011)

saima1215 said:


> Hi JoDubai. My husband travels daily (Sunday - Thursday) from JLT. He'll be on his leave until Jan 18th so after that you can join him. You can send me a PM for more details.


Thank you for your reply that would be great. I will PM you now. Thanks so much


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## andrea_ms (Dec 27, 2011)

hi saima... what are your husbands travel timings? and how do I contact you.. I dont have pm


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