Sharjah (SHJ): the airport sells an AED 20 Dubai coach that Air Arabia now runs free, once a day, from a different mall
Sharjah Airport Authority and Air Arabia publish contradictory versions of the same coach. The airline has it leaving the airport once a day at 08:00, free, to City Centre Al Shindagha. The airport has it running all day from Al Ghurair Centre at AED 20. Uber, meanwhile, lists three UAE airports and Sharjah is not one of them.
- The two operators disagree about the Dubai coach, so plan for the thinner version. Air Arabia runs it and its timetable is the one to trust.
- Air Arabia publishes one departure a day each way, and it is free. Airport to City Centre Al Shindagha at 08:00, arriving 09:00. Al Shindagha to the airport at 18:00, arriving 19:00.
- Sharjah Airport still publishes the older service: to and from Al Ghurair Centre, AED 20 single, towards the airport 10:30 to 23:30 and from the airport 08:00 to 23:30.
- The coach is booked at a sales shop, not online. Air Arabia says to book at the Sales Shop at City Centre Al Shindagha or at Sharjah Airport.
- Ras Al Khaimah is the one coach both pages agree on, at AED 30. Air Arabia lists it leaving the airport at 08:00, 19:30 and 23:00, and reaching the airport at 11:30, 19:00 and 22:30.
- Uber's own airport list covers Abu Dhabi, Al Maktoum and Dubai International. Sharjah is absent.
- The airport names no ride-hailing pick-up point of any kind. Its transport pages list only Sharjah Taxi, Air Arabia coaches and car hire.
- Every taxi trip starting at the airport carries an AED 20 airport surcharge on top of the meter.
- Sharjah Taxi runs 24 hours from the ranks at the arrivals level of each terminal, on 600 525 252.
- Family and ladies-only taxis are available, and a limousine service waits outside Arrivals.
- The airport is 13 km southeast of Sharjah and 15 km from central Dubai, which it calls a 20 minute drive on average.
- There is no metro and the airport publishes no city bus route.
The Dubai coach: two official versions, and the airline wins
- Sharjah Airport Authority's public transport page describes an Air Arabia coach running to and from the Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai, AED 20 single, towards the airport 10:30 to 23:30 and away from it 08:00 to 23:30.
- Air Arabia's own airport shuttle page describes something quite different. The Dubai service now runs to and from City Centre Al Shindagha, it is listed as Free, and it is a single departure in each direction: 08:00 from the airport, arriving 09:00, and 18:00 from Al Shindagha, arriving 19:00.
- These two primary sources disagree and the page gives you both. The airline operates the bus, so treat one daily departure as the planning assumption and the airport's all-day timetable as the optimistic one. Booking is at the Air Arabia Sales Shop at either end, not online.
- Air Arabia's current page also has no Sharjah coach to Abu Dhabi or Al Ain at all. Its Abu Dhabi airport coach runs from Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai instead, hourly, AED 35.
Ras Al Khaimah
- AED 30, and both publishers agree on the price. Air Arabia's timetable: airport to Ras Al Khaimah at 08:00, 19:30 and 23:00; Ras Al Khaimah to the airport arriving 11:30, 19:00 and 22:30, from the Air Arabia Sales Shop on Oman Road.
Ride-hailing, and what is missing
- Uber's own list of airports it serves includes Abu Dhabi International, Al Maktoum International and Dubai International. Sharjah International is not on it. Uber does serve the city of Sharjah, which is why the omission matters: the city page tells you nothing about whether a driver may collect you at the terminal.
- The airport itself names no ride-hailing pick-up point. Its four transport pages cover location, car hire, public transport and taxis, and none of them mentions Uber or Careem.
Taxis
- Metered, plus an AED 20 airport surcharge on every trip that starts at the airport. The airport states the surcharge itself.
- Ranks are at the arrivals level of each terminal, 24 hours. Sharjah Taxi: 600 525 252. Family and ladies-only taxis are available, and there is a limousine service outside Arrivals. The regulator is the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority.
Sharjah parking: the second day costs AED 200 in the short-term car park and AED 95 in the long-term one
The short-term tariff starts at AED 16 for the first hour with no free period published, and from the second 24 hours it jumps to AED 200 a day. The long-term car park charges AED 95 for anything over four hours and AED 95 a day after that.
- Short term, first hour AED 16, two hours AED 27, three hours AED 38, four hours AED 49, then AED 11 for each additional hour or part of one.
- No free drop-off period is published. The tariff starts at the first hour.
- From the second 24 hours the short-term rate is AED 200 per day, and the system treats any part of a further day as a full day, from one minute past 24 hours.
- The long-term car park charges AED 95 for 4 hours 1 minute to 24 hours, and AED 95 per day after that.
- Losing your ticket adds AED 200 to the parking fee in either car park.
- Staying over 30 days adds an AED 2,000 penalty on top of the fee.
- You pay before you drive out, then have 10 minutes to exit. Payment booths inside the car parks take card, cash and contactless.
- A QR code on the ticket opens a payment page, so you can pay without the kiosk, an app or an account.
- People of Determination get two hours free in every car park, on request to customer service.
- Parking is run by Mawgif, on +971 55 110 9182 or cs.shj@mawgif.com.
- Prices include VAT, and parking can be pre-booked online.
- The car parks are within walking distance of the terminal, with trolleys in the departure car park and a lift and ramps to Departures.
The tariff, and the cliff at 24 hours
- Short term (arrival and departure): AED 16 for one hour, 27 for two, 38 for three, 49 for four, then AED 11 for each additional hour or part of one. All prices include VAT.
- From day two it is AED 200 per day. The airport spells out how that is counted: any part of the second 24 hours is charged as a full day, from one minute after 24 hours onwards.
- Long term (arrival and departure): AED 95 for 4 hours 1 minute up to 24 hours, and AED 95 per day thereafter. If the car is staying overnight, that is the car park to use.
- Lost ticket: AED 200 on top of the fee. Over 30 days: an AED 2,000 penalty on top of the fee.
- No free drop-off minutes are published. Many Gulf airports give ten or fifteen; Sharjah's published table begins with the first hour.
Paying and leaving
- Pay at a booth inside the car park before you drive out. They take credit card, cash and NFC. After paying you have a 10 minute grace period to exit.
- There is also a Scan to Pay option: the QR code on the parking ticket opens a payment page taking Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay, with no app to download and no account to register.
- People of Determination park free for two hours in all car parks, arranged through customer service.
- Parking is operated by Mawgif: +971 55 110 9182, cs.shj@mawgif.com. Pre-booking online is offered and is cheaper than turning up.
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