Dubai has two airports. Dubai International, DXB, sits inside the city 15 minutes from the centre and handles almost all flights from Europe, Russia, India and the Gulf, plus the Emirates and flydubai hubs. Al Maktoum, DWC, is 40 km to the south-west next to Expo City and takes charters, some low-cost carriers and cargo. You can collect a rental car at both, but the process differs, and the difference affects the price, the time and your patience after a long flight.
Two ways to collect a car at the airport
Rental desks in the terminal
At DXB they sit in the arrivals area of all three terminals, after customs. These are the international chains and a few large local operators. Pros: the car is in the airport car park, everything is on the spot, and you can rent without a booking. Cons: the queue after a big flight lands can take 40 to 60 minutes, a deposit is blocked on a credit card and without one you will not get a car, the price is 15 to 25 percent above city rates because of the airport fee, and your choice is limited to what is parked outside.
Meet-and-greet delivery
This is how we and most local companies work. When booking, you give us your flight number. The driver tracks the arrival online and meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board. In 10 minutes you inspect the car, photograph the body from every side, sign the contract and drive off. No desks, no queues, no deposit. Departure works the same way: you drive up to the departures terminal, hand over the keys, the driver checks the car and you go to check-in.
Where exactly we meet at DXB
- Terminal 1. Most foreign airlines: Turkish, Qatar, British Airways, Lufthansa, Aeroflot, Air Arabia. We meet at the arrivals exit, next to the Costa cafe on the right.
- Terminal 2. flydubai and a few regional carriers. A small terminal with a single arrivals exit, we wait right at the doors.
- Terminal 3. Emirates and flydubai flights sold under the Emirates code. The largest terminal in the world with several exits; the driver will message you on WhatsApp with the exact one, usually the exit by the meeting area on the ground floor.
DWC has one terminal and we meet at the arrivals exit. From there the Marina is 35 to 40 minutes along the E311 or E611, the centre about 50 minutes.
What to bring
- Passport with your visa or entry stamp.
- Your national driving licence.
- An International Driving Permit if your licence was issued by a country outside the UAE's recognised list. EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, GCC and most East Asian licences are accepted directly; Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh and most Asian, African and Latin American licences need an IDP. If you did not get one at home, we can arrange a digital IDP on the spot for AED 250, ready the same day.
- A phone number with WhatsApp. A local SIM is sold in the arrivals hall; a tourist package with data costs AED 50 to 100.
A credit card is not required: we take no deposit, and the rental can be paid with any foreign card, cash in dirhams or a transfer in advance.
Delayed or overnight flights
The driver follows your flight by number, so a delay is not a problem and you do not need to call. Overnight arrivals are the norm in Dubai: many flights from Europe and Asia land after midnight. We work around the clock with no surcharge for night handovers. One request: if immigration takes you longer than an hour, drop us a WhatsApp message so the driver does not look for you at another exit.
Passport control at DXB usually takes 15 to 30 minutes for visa-on-arrival nationals, up to an hour in the peak between midnight and 3 am. Smart gates work for many nationalities and for anyone who has visited the UAE before.
Driving from the airport
From DXB it is 10 minutes to Deira and the Creek, 20 to Downtown and Burj Khalifa, 25 to Jumeirah, 30 to 40 minutes to the Marina and JBR along Sheikh Zayed Road, and 35 to the Palm. At night halve those times. You will pass Salik toll gates on the way; the charge is automatic and there is nothing to stop for. Set the hotel in your navigation app while still in the car park: the interchanges around the airport are multi-level and a missed exit costs a 10-minute detour. Google Maps and Waze are the most accurate here.
If you land at DWC, the road to the Marina runs along an empty highway past Jebel Ali with no traffic at any hour.
What it costs and which option wins
Terminal delivery and collection are free with us at both airports. Rental desks build an airport surcharge into the rate: a Nissan Sunny at a desk costs AED 120 to 130 against 90 in town. Over a week that is AED 250, before counting the AED 1,500 deposit the desk will block. The only scenario where a desk is more convenient is arriving without a booking and wanting a car right now, and in high season even that is not guaranteed, because the desk may simply have nothing available.
Returning the car at the airport
Tell us your departure time and we will suggest meeting three hours before it at the departures terminal, the standard for international flights. The handover takes 5 to 10 minutes: the driver inspects the body, checks the fuel level and mileage, and you sign the return form. If you did not have time to refuel, no problem, the difference is charged per the gauge. The fine check takes up to 30 days, and if anything arrives we will send you a photo.
Common mistakes when collecting at the airport
- Not photographing the car at handover. We do it ourselves and send you the pictures, but your own set is better.
- Not checking that the air conditioning blows cold. In summer this is the first thing to do.
- Driving off without confirming the Salik registration in the contract. All our cars are registered, but at some companies they are not, and the fine for an unregistered crossing is AED 100.
- Leaving the car documents at the hotel. Registration and contract must stay in the glovebox at all times; the police will ask for them at any stop.
DXB terminals in detail
Dubai International handles over 90 million passengers a year, and finding your way after a long flight is not always simple. Terminal 3 covers more than a million square metres and is the largest airport building in the world by floor area. Terminals 1 and 3 are connected on foot, while Terminal 2 requires a bus or taxi because it sits on the opposite side of the airfield.
This matters when booking: name the wrong terminal and your driver will be waiting thirty minutes away. The terminal number is on your boarding pass and in your airline app, so send it to us when confirming the booking.
Meeting areas in each terminal are marked with Meeting Point signs. Terminal 3 has two, at exits A and B, which is why we always confirm on WhatsApp which one you came out of.
What happens after landing: the timings
- Aircraft to immigration: 5 to 15 minutes on foot, up to 20 in Terminal 3 because of the building's size.
- Immigration: 15 to 30 minutes normally, up to an hour in the midnight-to-three peak when European and Asian flights land together. Smart Gates work for citizens of 50 countries and anyone who has previously entered the UAE with biometrics.
- Baggage reclaim: 10 to 25 minutes.
- Customs: usually straight through the green channel.
- Arrivals hall and meeting your driver: 2 to 5 minutes.
- Vehicle inspection and paperwork: 10 minutes.
All in, from touchdown to leaving the car park typically takes 50 to 80 minutes. Plan for that if someone is expecting you at a meeting or hotel.
Renting at Al Maktoum airport (DWC)
DWC currently handles far fewer flights than DXB but takes some charters and low-cost carriers plus all cargo traffic. It is planned to become Dubai's main airport during the 2030s. For now it has one passenger terminal, few rental desks, and a taxi into the city costs AED 150 to 200 because of the distance.
Delivery is particularly worthwhile at DWC: the gap versus a taxi to the Marina is around AED 180 one way, so a day's rental is partly paid for by the transfer alone. The road from DWC runs along the E311 through Jebel Ali and is clear at any hour.
