By air: Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the world's busiest by international passenger traffic. It handles flights from virtually every major city in the world, with Emirates providing extensive direct connections from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The airport is 7 kilometres from Downtown; the Dubai Metro Red Line connects directly to the city centre and runs 24 hours at weekends. Journey time to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station is about 30 minutes. Taxis are metered and reliable; the fare from the airport to Downtown is roughly 50–70 AED.
Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) at Dubai South handles some low-cost and charter flights. It is 40 kilometres from Downtown, served by bus connections. Check which airport your airline uses.
By road from Abu Dhabi: Regular bus services run between Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the E11/Sheikh Zayed Road corridor (journey time 1.5–2 hours, depending on traffic). The road between the two cities passes through open desert and is straightforward to drive. Dubai has one of the highest car ownership rates per capita in the world, and road congestion in the city itself can be severe during peak hours.
By road from other emirates: Sharjah is immediately adjacent to Dubai with no checkpoint; Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah are connected by motorway to the north. The border with Abu Dhabi emirate is a toll checkpoint on the E11.