Al Maktoum International Airport (Dubai World Central) transfer

DWC lies in the far south-west of Dubai, inland from Jebel Ali and next to Expo City Dubai, roughly 70 km by road from Dubai International (DXB). It is not a terminal of DXB but a separate airport, so check that your ticket really says DWC before you book a car. A driver sent to the wrong airport faces a long cross-city drive.

The location changes the geography of your transfer. From DXB the beach districts are on the far side of the city; from DWC they are the nearest hotel areas, and the capital, Abu Dhabi, is reached without crossing Dubai at all. Old Dubai around the Creek and the northern emirates are the long drives from here.

Access roads such as Al Maktoum Airport Street link the terminal to all three of Dubai's main highways. Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) runs along the coast past Jebel Ali towards Dubai Marina, Al Barsha and Downtown, and south-west towards Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Emirates Road (E611) run further inland and are the usual way north to Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah without driving through the city centre.

Local drivers choose between them by time of day and live traffic.

Al Maktoum currently handles far fewer passengers than DXB, from a single passenger terminal, so the walk from the aircraft to arrivals is usually short. Queues at passport control can still build when several flights land close together.

Give your flight number when booking. The local provider follows the actual landing time and agrees the meeting point with you by phone or WhatsApp. The driver waits in the arrivals area with your name, and the pickup moves with your flight if it is early or late.

A standard private car fits one to three passengers with normal suitcases. For four to seven people, or a family with prams and large bags, book a minivan; larger vehicles are available on request for groups.

Child seats can be added at booking. Golf bags matter on this airport's routes, since both Abu Dhabi and Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah have golf resorts, so declare them along with any diving gear or bicycle boxes.

The main travel season runs from October to April, when daytime heat is moderate and beach days and evenings outdoors are comfortable. Christmas, New Year and European school holidays are the busiest weeks, and road traffic in Dubai rises with them.

From June to September temperatures are very high, and a car that is already cool when you leave the terminal makes a real difference. During Ramadan, whose dates move each year, traffic is often heavy in the hour before sunset and much quieter after it.