03.09.2026
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What is it about? Taxis in Abu Dhabi are a convenient and accessible mode of transport that allows you to move quickly and comfortably around the city and its surroundings. In the capital of the United Arab Emirates, numerous taxi companies operate, providing high-quality services.
Why is it convenient? One of the advantages of taxis in Abu Dhabi is the availability of modern vehicles equipped with air conditioning and comfortable seats. Drivers speak several languages, which facilitates communication with passengers.
There are two main reasons for the advantages of taxis in the emirates:
From March to May, and from September to December, the air temperature in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is 24–36°C. In summer, it is very hot, from 40 to 52°C. Rain is extremely rare there. Even in winter, it is impossible to stay outdoors for too long, as the sun begins to beat down strongly.
Abu Dhabi has no metro, and buses are a popular form of public transport, for which you need a travel card. You can purchase a travel card at the airport or in the city itself, and you can top it up at bus stops via terminals.
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You can travel by bus if you know the route in advance and can top up your travel card balance for the entire journey. The cost of the card is 2 dirhams, and the fare depends on the distance of the trip. If you don't know exactly how much and to which places you plan to travel, it's better to use a taxi.
There are several options for calling a taxi in Abu Dhabi, let's look at them in more detail.
The most budget-friendly way is to find a car right on the street. There are a large number of taxi drivers in the Emirates. Many drivers wait for tourists near shopping centres, beaches and popular tourist attractions.
If you are standing near the road and see a taxi, simply wave your hand, and the car will stop. Taxi drivers have a payment terminal, so you can pay for the ride not only in cash but also with a foreign bank card.
If you are running late or cannot stop a car on the road, call a taxi through the application for ordering taxis in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has Uber, which you can use directly from the Russian Yandex Go application. However, the most popular taxi service in the emirates is Careem.
You need to download the application to your phone and register, which will take no more than 5 minutes. You can register an account using a Russian phone number, but since the ability to receive messages abroad will depend on your mobile operator, you should take care of this in a timely manner and activate your profile while still in Russia.
How to call a taxi in Abu Dhabi via the Careem application? It's very simple. Set the point where you need to be picked up (hotels can be found by their name) and the point of arrival (all the tourist attractions can also be found by name) and wait for a car to be assigned to you. After it is assigned, the model of the car, its colour, number, and the driver's name will be indicated, like usual.
If you have trouble finding the car that has arrived, you can call the driver on the phone (if you have a local SIM card) or contact them via an online chat. The waiting fee starts after 5 minutes and costs 0.5 dirhams per minute. The taxi driver can also wait for passengers for an hour for an additional 30 dirhams.
The application offers different rates: Comfort (up to 4 people), Max (up to 6 passengers), Kids (with a child car seat), Executive (premium class), Eco-friendly (electric cars) and Personal Captain (a car for long 5–10 hour trips).
Taxis in Abu Dhabi are managed by TransAD, which issues licences for transport companies and sets tariffs. In January 2021, travel became more expensive, but the tariffs did not increase. A payment was added for travel across all four bridges to Abu Dhabi, which is 4 dirhams. The passenger pays these 4 dirhams to the taxi driver.
The TransAd rules state that if there is a meter in the car and it is turned off, your ride will be free.
In 2022 and 2023, the company did not officially increase travel tariffs. Based on our observations, reviews from tourists and the Numbeo service, the cost of travel has not actually changed. And that's great. Let's see how much a taxi costs in Abu Dhabi as of January 2024:
For a taxi from Abu Dhabi airport, an increased tariff of 25 dirhams applies.
Abu Dhabi is divided into islands connected to the mainland by four bridges: Musaffah, Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa and Al Maktoum. For travel across each of them, 4 dirhams are added.
Some taxis in Abu Dhabi may accept credit cards for payment, while others cannot. The Hafilat transport card is not yet available for payment.
According to the new federal rules, children under the age of 5 must be in a child car seat during a ride.
Near shopping centres and tourist attractions, there are Taxi Line stands. It is much more convenient to wait for a taxi there.
The meters in the cars are indicated in dirhams.
Taxi drivers are allowed to transport people only within their emirate. Thus, if a driver takes you to another emirate, he will return alone. To compensate for this, you will be charged 20 dirhams for the car crossing the borders of the emirates.
The UAE fares do not include extra charges for the number of people traveling or for luggage. However, taxi drivers may refuse to take you if your luggage is oversized.
As in most Arab countries, female passengers can only ride in the back seat of the car. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this rule is ignored, but there are more conservative emirates, such as Sharjah, where you may be asked to move to another seat. It's better not to risk it and choose a female taxi instead.
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Pink taxis deserve special attention.
This pink taxi is intended only for women. It is of the corresponding colour or white with a pink roof. The drivers of such taxis are always women. Only women or women with children (if with boys, then only up to 10 years old) are allowed to ride in them. This type of taxi appeared in the United Arab Emirates only in 2010.
Taxis designed exclusively for women are distinguished by a high level of safety. There is video surveillance inside, and the car itself is equipped with GPS, which can transmit speed information to the dispatch centre, which guarantees that the driver will not violate traffic rules. For passengers and the driver, there is also an emergency button in the taxi, which can be used to call the police in case of an emergency.
Pink taxis cost 20% more than regular ones.
Men can ride in this type of transport only with their wife, sister, daughter or mother.
Tips:
Dishonest private taxi drivers should also be mentioned. In the United Arab Emirates, there are many private taxi drivers who try to lure tourists. Their cars do not have meters, and therefore they can tell you any amount that they want for the trip.
It may happen that they say they will take you from the airport for 200 dirhams, but afterwards, when they have already brought you to your destination, they demand 400 dirhams.
How to distinguish a city taxi from a private one:
City taxis are controlled by the state, which has reduced the number of fraudsters recently. However, they are still encountered. Since you are not aware of all the roads in the emirate, the taxi driver may deliberately drive you around to earn more.
Before getting into the car, you need to show the driver that you know the rules. To do this, you need to photograph the serial number of the vehicle (AD* outside or inside the car), in such a way that the taxi driver sees it.
If you notice that the cost of travel has increased, call the police on 999 or the call centres of TransAD (Abu Dhabi, +971 800 850). Deceived passengers will have their money returned, and the driver will be fined or suspended from working.
According to Khaleej Times, the Yandex Taxi service has started operating in Abu Dhabi. Previously, it was working in a trial mode in the emirate for five months. During this time, it was used 8,000 times. So far, only one class of cars is available to passengers.
More than 1,500 local taxi drivers are registered in this service, who come on call in Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata or Tesla cars. So how do you order a taxi in Abu Dhabi? It can be booked via the Russian-language application Yandex Go or Yango, which also supports Arabic, English and various other languages. It is worth noting that Yandex Go taxi has been operating in Dubai since 2022.
The trip takes about 2.5 hours and costs approximately 225 US dollars.
The cost of one kilometre is 2.70 dirhams. Minimum payment — 25.43 dirhams. UberSELECT - 8.14 dirhams. The cost of each kilometre — 1.83 dirhams.
In Abu Dhabi, it is better to walk than to drive a car. However, a taxi is the most convenient way to get around the city. And to use this mode of transport correctly, it is best to study all the nuances before you visit the Emirates.
Article header image source: wirestock / magnific.com
