Holidays in the emirate of Sharjah are convenient for family tourists and travelers with children. On the map of the UAE, this region is located next to Dubai, they are separated only by a conditional border – the ring road. Therefore, many people think that there is a metro here – Sharjah is very close to the metropolis. But this is not so, although vacationers have the opportunity to use Subway Dubai for travel and self-guided tours.
Rumors about subway in Sharjah
Speculation and false rumors about the construction of a separate metro line to Sharjah from Dubai have been circulating for a long time. However, there is no information on the official website of the transport agency (RTA) about the construction or continuation of existing branches towards the satellite city. There are no grounds for this yet. You can get from Sharjah to Dubai in alternative ways – by car, taxi or bus.
Reasons for the lack of prospects for the construction of metro lines in Sharjah:
- Population. For 2020, it is about 1 million people. This is not enough to create your own Subway.
- Good transport interchange. The emirate has a developed network of roads, which allows you to quickly travel by bus or car between the regions of the United Arab Emirates.
- The metro is created for tourists or in large metropolitan areas, when local residents need to quickly travel to another area of the city. For Sharjah, this is not relevant.
- Locals prefer to travel in their own cars. This contributes to the low cost of fuel, the possibility of obtaining a loan and high incomes.
Metro in Sharjah is more needed for tourists. However, the growth of the tourist flow to the Emirate is still relatively small. Therefore, visitors to the UAE can choose an alternative – take a bus to the nearest metro station in Dubai. So you can visit local attractions on your own, go shopping at the mall, the gold or spice market.
Stations near the emirate
The nearest Dubai metro station to the emirate of Sharjah is Stadium. From it you can order a taxi or transfer to the bus route. The fare depends on the number of zones crossed and the type of NOL card. Tourists are advised to buy an ordinary option, then the fare within one zone will be 4 dirhams, two – 6 dirhams. Children under 6 years old can use the metro for free. It can take a little time to get there – 20-30 minutes. The distance between cities is 15-20 km.
How to get to Dubai Metro from Sharjah:
- By bus. Routes run from the central bus station, the fare is 4 dirhams. But not everyone passes along the embankment, the schedule can be viewed on the website of the bus station or indoors. To Union station Square runs route E303, to Al Ghubaiba E306, before Deira City Center E307, to Abu Hail E307A.
- By taxi, the fare will be 60-80 dirhams. The price includes a fee for crossing the border of the emirate in the amount of 20 dirhams. This is the best way to travel, suitable for companies of 2-3 people.
- N rented car. Road junctions in this part of the UAE are difficult, you can get lost and spend a lot of time on the trip. Therefore, it is recommended to go to the nearest metro station from Sharjah by taxi.
When traveling by taxi, you need to follow the route. Local drivers often try to take the longest route to increase the cost. This can be controlled using the navigator. If the driver does not want to change the route, you can complain to the transport company. However, they do not know Russian there, they will have to explain themselves in English. Preliminary study the scheme of metro stations in Dubai. So you can plan how much it will take to get to a certain point on the map of the metropolis.
A free shuttle bus runs from the hotels every day. It can take you to the central shopping center, located next to the Burj Khalifa. He goes back in 2 hours. For travel from the airport, it is recommended to order a transfer when buying a tour in the UAE.