Sharjah starts about 30 kilometres from the centre of Dubai, and nothing on the road marks the boundary between the two emirates: no checkpoint, no document check. So the simplest way to drive around Sharjah is to pick up a car in Dubai and head north. Below: where to get the car, how to get there, when you will sit in traffic, and how Sharjah differs from Dubai in its rules.

Where to pick up the car: Dubai or Sharjah

There are two options, and for most tourists the first is more convenient.

  • Pick up in Dubai and drive to Sharjah. The Dubai airport, your hotel or a convenient point in the city, with a wider choice of cars than in any other emirate. One set of documents and terms covers the whole trip, and the car stays with you in both Dubai and Sharjah. A day in Sharjah with an evening return to Dubai is 60 to 100 kilometres, comfortably inside the 250 km daily allowance.
  • Pick up in Sharjah itself. There are rental desks in the city and at Sharjah airport (SHJ), which has many low-cost flights. This makes sense if you stay in Sharjah rather than Dubai, but the choice is narrower and deposit, age and mileage terms differ noticeably between companies.

If your flight lands in Sharjah but you need the car in Dubai, or the other way round, agree the delivery point when you book and get a confirmation before you travel. Our terms are the same for every trip: no deposit, age from 21 and at least one year of driving experience.

The drive from Dubai to Sharjah

Three main roads lead from Dubai to Sharjah, and all of them run through the north of the city.

  • E11, Al Ittihad Road. The shortest and the busiest: through Deira and Al Nahda straight into central Sharjah. On the Dubai side it has two Salik gates, Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South.
  • E311, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. The outer ring road, further from the centre but usually freer at rush hour. A good choice if you are heading to northern Sharjah or beyond, to Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah.
  • E611, Emirates Road. Another outer highway, handy if you start from southern Dubai.

The drive takes 30 to 40 minutes when the road is clear. At rush hour it is an hour or more: mornings towards Dubai, evenings from Dubai to Sharjah, because a large share of people who work in Dubai live in Sharjah. The easiest window to drive out is between 10:00 and 16:00, and to come back either before 16:30 or after 20:00. We covered the Salik gates in the articles on Dubai toll roads and on Salik with a rental car; the fee depends on the time of day and is added to your rental bill.

Parking in Sharjah

Parking is paid in most city zones, by machine, SMS or app. The rules are written on the zone sign and it matters to read them: in zones with blue signs you pay all week with no days off, while in other zones some days and hours are free. So do not assume Friday is free everywhere, read the sign. Shopping malls, Al Majaz Waterfront and the popular museums have their own car parks, and many old-town sights have free parking that fills up by midday at weekends.

How Sharjah differs from Dubai

The emirate is more conservative than its neighbour, and a visitor should know three things.

  • Alcohol is banned completely. You cannot buy or drink it, including in restaurants and hotels, and you cannot carry it in a car in Sharjah.
  • A strict dress code outside the beaches. In public places shoulders and knees must be covered, for men and women alike. Bring a light shirt or scarf for museums and mosques.
  • The same speed rules. The 20 km/h tolerance over the limit that applies in Dubai applies in Sharjah too. Cameras cover the main roads, and the fine arrives by plate number to the car owner, who passes it on to you; we describe how this works in the article on checking and paying fines.

There are no toll roads inside Sharjah; the only tolls are the Dubai gates on the way there and back.

What to see in Sharjah by car

  • Heart of Sharjah, the old town with museums, markets and restored houses. Leave the car at a nearby car park and walk.
  • Al Noor Mosque on Buhaira Corniche, beautiful in the evening.
  • Al Majaz Waterfront, a promenade with a fountain, cafes and playgrounds, good for a family evening out.
  • Sharjah Aquarium and Sharjah Art Museum, each a separate daytime stop.
  • Mleiha, an archaeological park and desert about an hour from central Sharjah, good for a trip with a night in a camp.
  • The coast at Khor Fakkan and Kalba through the S142 mountain tunnels: the road opened in 2021 and takes you from Sharjah to the ocean in about an hour; more in the article on Fujairah.

Mileage and costs for the day

A Dubai, Sharjah, Dubai loop is 60 to 80 kilometres, about 100 with driving around the city. That is less than half of the daily 250 km allowance. Fuel will be modest, and tolls are about two Salik gates each way at the Salik tariff. Parking in Sharjah usually costs a few dirhams an hour.

Which car to take

Any sedan or crossover from the fleet works for Sharjah. The roads are smooth and the trip is short, so you do not need an SUV. A family with children will like a crossover for the larger boot, a couple will be fine in an economy sedan. If you plan to go further, to the ocean through the tunnels or to the Mleiha desert, take a crossover with some power in reserve and check that the contract states unlimited mileage or a sufficient limit.