Sharjah to Al Ain Bus Timings: Route 118 and Fare
The direct bus from Sharjah to Al Ain is SRTA route 118, which leaves Al Jubail Bus Station 11 times a day between 04:45 and 19:55 and costs AED 33. The return from Al Ain runs under the number 811, also 11 times a day, from 06:30 to 21:30, and costs AED 30. Both directions take about two hours 55 minutes. Unlike Dubai’s intercity buses, this route has a fixed departure list, so you can plan to the minute.
- Board at Al Jubail Bus Station, not Rolla, which this route does not serve.
- Pick a departure from the tables below, the bus does not run on a turn-up-and-go basis.
- Do not rely on a Nol card, this is a Sharjah RTA service.
The Sharjah to Al Ain bus at a glance
This is one of the longer intercity journeys in the country, and it is run by the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority rather than by Dubai’s RTA or Abu Dhabi Mobility. That matters for three things: where you board, how often the bus runs, and how you pay.
| Item | Sharjah to Al Ain | Al Ain to Sharjah |
|---|---|---|
| Route number | 118 (shown as 118 G) | 811 (shown as 811 R) |
| Departs from | Al Jubail Bus Station | Al Ain Bus Station |
| Departures a day | 11 | 11 |
| First and last | 04:45 and 19:55 | 06:30 and 21:30 |
| Gap between buses | 90 minutes, 100 for the last | 90 minutes |
| Journey time | About 2 hours 55 minutes | About 2 hours 55 minutes |
| Fare | AED 33 | AED 30 |
The 90-minute gap is the number to build your day around. Miss a bus and you wait an hour and a half, which on a three-hour trip turns a morning arrival into an afternoon one. Arriving at the station 15 minutes early costs you very little by comparison.
Sharjah to Al Ain bus timings
These are the departures SRTA lists from Al Jubail Bus Station, with the scheduled arrival at Al Ain Bus Station. Arrival times assume normal traffic, so treat them as the earliest you will get in rather than a promise.
| Departs Al Jubail | Arrives Al Ain | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 04:45 | 07:40 | Early start, arrive for the working day |
| 06:15 | 09:10 | Morning appointments |
| 07:45 | 10:40 | Day trip with a full afternoon |
| 09:15 | 12:10 | Late morning arrival |
| 10:45 | 13:40 | Midday |
| 12:15 | 15:10 | Afternoon arrival |
| 13:45 | 16:40 | Afternoon arrival |
| 15:15 | 18:10 | Early evening |
| 16:45 | 19:40 | Evening |
| 18:15 | 21:10 | Evening |
| 19:55 | 22:50 | Last bus of the day |
For a same-day return, the 07:45 is the practical choice. It gets you into Al Ain before 11:00 and leaves time for the oasis, the museum or an appointment before one of the late afternoon buses back.
Al Ain to Sharjah bus timings
The return service starts later and finishes later than the outbound one. The first bus leaves Al Ain at 06:30 and the last at 21:30, with a bus every 90 minutes in between.
| Departs Al Ain | Arrives Al Jubail | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 06:30 | 09:25 | Into Sharjah for the morning |
| 08:00 | 10:55 | Late morning arrival |
| 09:30 | 12:25 | Midday |
| 11:00 | 13:55 | Early afternoon |
| 12:30 | 15:25 | Afternoon |
| 14:00 | 16:55 | Afternoon |
| 15:30 | 18:25 | Day trippers heading home |
| 17:00 | 19:55 | Day trippers heading home |
| 18:30 | 21:25 | Evening |
| 20:00 | 22:55 | Evening |
| 21:30 | 00:25 | Last bus, arrives after midnight |
The 21:30 is useful to know about but awkward to rely on. It reaches Al Jubail after midnight, when onward local buses in Sharjah have thinned out, so plan a taxi for the last leg if you take it.
The route, the stations and the numbering
Three details trip people up on this route, and none of them is obvious from the route name alone.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Sharjah station | Al Jubail Bus Station, near the corniche. SRTA lists no departures from Rolla. |
| Al Ain station | Al Ain Bus Station in the city centre, the same terminal used by buses to Dubai and Abu Dhabi |
| Two numbers, one service | SRTA labels the outbound trip 118 G and the return 811 R |
| Older numbering | Some guides from 2024 list a 116 G to Al Ain. Route 116 now runs to Khorfakkan. |
The numbering is the detail most likely to cause a wasted trip. If an older article tells you to take the 116 to Al Ain, you would end up on the road to the east coast instead. Check the destination on the front of the bus, not just the number.
Al Ain Bus Station sits close to the centre of the city, within reach of the oasis and the main shopping streets. Local buses in Al Ain are run by Abu Dhabi Mobility and use the Hafilat card, so if you need to go further across the city, sort that out on arrival. Our Hafilat card guide explains how it works.
Fare and how to pay
The two directions are priced differently, which surprises people who assume a return costs exactly double the single.
| Journey | Fare |
|---|---|
| Sharjah to Al Ain (118) | AED 33 |
| Al Ain to Sharjah (811) | AED 30 |
| Round trip | AED 63 |
| Older quoted fare | AED 35, now out of date |
Paying a little more to leave Sharjah than to come back is a pattern across SRTA’s intercity fares, not a quirk of this route. The same split shows up on its buses into Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi route is also AED 33 from Sharjah, as covered in our Sharjah to Abu Dhabi bus guide.
Buy your ticket at the Al Jubail counter before boarding. SRTA intercity services do not run on Dubai’s Nol system, so a Nol card in your wallet is not a ticket here. Carry cash as a fallback in case the card reader or counter system is down.
If no departure suits you
With a bus only every 90 minutes, there will be days when the timetable does not fit. The fallback is to go via Dubai, which adds a change but gives you a more frequent second leg.
- Take an RTA bus from Sharjah into Dubai. The E306 runs from Al Jubail to Al Ghubaiba.
- From Al Ghubaiba, take the E201 to Al Ain, which runs roughly hourly.
- Allow about four hours in total, including the change.
That route costs more, about AED 42 against AED 33 direct, and takes longer, so it only makes sense when the direct bus timing does not work. The Dubai leg is covered in our E306 bus guide, and the Al Ain leg in our Dubai to Al Ain bus guide. For every intercity option across the country, start at our UAE bus timings guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct bus from Sharjah to Al Ain?
Yes. SRTA route 118 runs direct from Al Jubail Bus Station to Al Ain Bus Station 11 times a day, from 04:45 to 19:55, taking about two hours 55 minutes.
How much is the bus from Sharjah to Al Ain?
AED 33 from Sharjah to Al Ain, and AED 30 from Al Ain back to Sharjah. Some older guides quote AED 35, which is no longer the listed fare.
What time is the last bus from Al Ain to Sharjah?
21:30, arriving at Al Jubail around 00:25. The last bus from Sharjah to Al Ain leaves earlier, at 19:55.
Can I use my Nol card on the Sharjah to Al Ain bus?
No. This is a Sharjah RTA service, not part of Dubai’s Nol network. Buy a ticket at the Al Jubail counter and carry cash as a backup.
Last verified: October 2026 against the SRTA intercity schedule. Departure times are SRTA’s published list and arrival times are scheduled, so traffic can add to them. Timings change during Ramadan and public holidays.
Written by Roman Shah · Reviewed by the UAEexplained editorial team
Source: Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA)
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