Where is Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station? Location, Timings & Facilities

To help you navigate Abu Dhabi using public transportation, it is essential to understand where the central bus station is located and what services run to and from this key Abu Dhabi location.

In this Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station guide, we’ll cover:

Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station Map

As the name might suggest, the central bus station in Abu Dhabi sits pretty near the centre of Abu Dhabi island, on the corner of Hazza Bin Zayed The First Street and Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street (or the corner of 4th and 11th in the old language!)

You find it from its distinctive green wave-shaped roof (the building is now heritage listed!) It is immediately adjacent to Al Wadha Mall and may also be referred to as Al Wadha Station or Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi Bus Station.

Map of where to find abu dhabi central bus station — *See the interactive map of Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station on Google Maps*

Services From Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

There are both suburban services and Intercity services that leave from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station.

There are four platforms

Platform 1 for Inter-Emirate services to Sharjah and RAK
Platform 2 for intercity services to Dubai
Platform 3 for regional bus services within Abu Dhabi Emirate & some suburban services
Platform 4 is for suburban services and services and services to Abu Dhabi Airport

intercity buses at platform 2 of Abu Dhbai's central bus station

Ticketing and other Facilities at Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

The Central Bus Station is very basic but has all the amenities you need, from toilets and prayer rooms to mini-marts and quick-bite sandwich shops. Some basic waiting areas are available inside and on the platforms, but as far as transportation hubs go, it’s a far cry from its counterpart, the shiny new Zayed International Airport.

You can buy Hafilat cards required for Abu Dhabi suburban buses from within the station and tickets for intercity services from a ticketing counter with a card or cash.

There is also a Nol machine – for those travelling onward to Dubai Emirate from Abu Dhabi bus station, you can top up your Nol card in advance to tap and pay as you board and for use on Dubai’s public transport system.

Hafilat Card machine in Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

Dubai Services From Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station

Two Dubai services run from Platform 2 at Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station.

The E100 Intercity Bus Service, which goes to Al Al Ghubaiba Bus Station, which is in Bur Dubai and takes a little over 2 hours with three other stops.

The E101 Intercity Bus Service, which goes directly to Ibn Battuta Station in Dubai and takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes.

the intercity bus loading passengers from Abu Dhbai central bus station next to al wadha mall — *Platform 2 at the Central bus station is where to catch the RTA-operated intercity buses from Abu Dhabi to Dubai*

Intercity bus preparing to leave Abu Dhabi central bus station for dubai

The timetable for the 101 and 100 bus services from Abu Dhbai Central Bus Station — *E100 and E101 timetable*

All Intercity bus services cost AED 25 one way and can be paid for in cash at the ticket counter inside the terminal; you can also use Nol cards, which are also valid for onward travel in Dubai.

NB There is a further Dubai intercity service, the E102; this does not stop at that Central Bus Station. It departs from Mussafah Shabiya Bus Station and goes via some of the outer suburban areas of Abu Dhabi, including Terminal A at Zayed International Airport.

We have a complete guide to all the different ways you can get from Abu Dhabi to Dubai here, as well as a more detailed explanation of how you get from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport to Dubai.

Other Intercity Services from Abu Dhabi Bus Station

Buses to Other Emirates in the UAE

You can get direct buses from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station to the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah from platform 1.

RAKTA operates the Ras al Khaimah coach service, which costs AED 35 one-way (For some reason, the return journey is AED 47 from RAK to Abu Dhabi).
There are two services daily from Abu Dhabi to the terminal at RAK’s Al Hamra Station.
We are confirming the daily departure times as online sources do not align with the times we’ve seen the bus leave!
It is approximately a 250km journey, which takes over 3.5 hours to complete.

a RAKTA bus at Abu Dhabi central bus station takes passengers from Abu Dhbai to Ras Al Khamaih in the northern emirates — *Ras Al Khaimah Bus leaves from platform 2 at Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station twice daily*

There is also a service to Sharjah, operated by Sharjah RTA from platform 1
Bus Route 117 from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station to Sharjah’s Al Jubail Bus Station.
Depending on the time of day, the bus leaves every 35 to 60 minutes and takes 2 hours, 50 minutes.
The first bus of the day starts at 6:30 AM, and the last bus departs at 11:15 AM.
This bus service costs AED 33.

Bus Services to other cities in Abu Dhabi Emirate

Heading beyond the capital city, there are multiple bus services to regional cities in Abu Dhabi. Finding information online is unexpectedly difficult, even using Darbi – we do hope they’ll improve their search tools in future.

The X90 is the service to Al Ain. It makes several stops, and the full journey takes 2 hours 35 minutes. Services leave every 2 hours from 6:45 am to 22:45 am.

The X60 is the service to the Western Region city of Madinat Zayed, with 6 daily services.

The X70 is the service to Al Marfa. We understand four services run daily.

Th X86 is a once-daily service to Ghayathi, via Mirfa departing midday.

Intercity bus services are charged at AED 10 + AED 0.1 per kilometre.

A capital express regional bus leaving Abu Dhbai central bus station — *Intercity bus services in Abu Dhabi, presently run by Capital Express*

Suburban Bus Services in Abu Dhabi

All buses within Abu Dhabi are run by the Integrated Trasport Centre (ITC), and you will need a Hafilat bus card to pay onboard by tapping in. There are several Hafilat machines at the central bus station.

To get a complete timetable of Abu Dhabi suburban bus services, visit itc.gov.ae/en/pb-bus-service/ or you can download the Darbi app for Google Play and the Apple App Store.

You can also get real-time bus information in Abu Dhabi by scanning the QR code at every bus stop.

Suburban bus services in Abu Dhbai a fleet of modern buses — *A suburban Abu Dhabi bus service leaving the Central Bus Station in Al Wadha*

Bus journeys within Abu Dhabi city are AED 2 or to the outer suburbs AED 2 + AED 0.05 per kilometre. You must tap in and out for your fare to be correctly calculated.

More FAQs About Abu Dhabi Bus Station

Does the AUH Express stop at the Central Bus station in Abu Dhabi?

No, the AUH Express only operates between Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai. It does not come via the city centre; you will need to catch one of these suburban services from AUH to the city centre.

Can I use Nol Card at Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station?

If you are catching an Intercity RTA bus to Dubai, you can use your Nol card in Abu Dhabi ONLY to board these intercity services. There is a machine in the terminal building to buy and top up your Nol. You cannot use Nol for any other Abu Dhabi operated bus service.

Is there anywhere to sleep at the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station?

No, the terminal building here is not large, and while there is an indoor waiting area, there’s nowhere to lie down and sleep fully.

Are there any shops close to the bus station in Abu Dhabi?

Yes, you are immediately next to Al Wadha Mall in the city centre of Abu Dhabi, which is open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (midnight on weekends)

Is there anywhere to store luggage at the Abu Dhabi Central bus station?

We believe not, but we will check this next time we’re in there as we have heard some advice to the contrary (we believe out of date). This is the ability to have luggage put on hold while you shop at the adjacent Lulu supermarket in the basement of Al Wadha Mall you could try, but we wouldn’t attempt huge suitcases.

Can I catch a taxi from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station?

Yes, if you don’t want to wait for a suburban bus connection at the central bus station, the quickest way to complete your journey is to grab a taxi from the rank immediately outside. There is a minimum fare of AED 12. Otherwise, taxi fares in Abu Dhabi are determined by the meter, which drivers always use.

Is it true bus stops are air-conditioned in Abu Dhabi?

Many, though not all, Abu Dhabi bus stops are enclosed and air-conditioned to deal with the extreme heat in the UAE for much of the year.

We hope this guide helps you navigate your way to and around the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station.

Note that timetables are prone to change without much notification. We have done our best to get this information, and transportation costs, up to date for 2024.

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