How much does a taxi cost in the UAE (Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah) and how do I book/pay for one?
Based on 2 discussions with 6 participants · Last activity: 9 days ago
TL;DR
A taxi from a hotel to the Sharjah area costs around 50 AED, and to the city center about 100 AED; short in-city rides (e.g., to a beach) run 12–30 AED. Booking apps like Careem or RTA work across emirates, but it's safer to carry cash since foreign cards (including UnionPay) aren't always accepted.
What the community said
A traveler asked whether a UnionPay bank card could be used to pay for a taxi — no definitive answer was given. In practice, most official UAE taxis accept Visa/Mastercard via terminal, but UnionPay support isn't guaranteed, so it's safer to carry cash dirhams.
10 days ago UnionPay acceptance not guaranteed
To book a taxi in Ras Al Khaimah, just like in other emirates, you can use apps such as Careem or the RTA app — they work country-wide, not just in Dubai.
14 days ago Careem / RTA app
One traveler shared her experience: a taxi from the hotel (side entrance, not the main one) to Al Khan Beach cost just over 30 AED. Then a short ride from the beach to the corniche (dropped near Holiday International Hotel) cost only 12–15 AED. The return trip back cost around 30+ AED again. All rides were hailed directly from the street.
17 days ago Al Khan Beach — from 12 AED
Taxi fare to Sharjah was clarified: a ride from the hotel to the Sharjah area (not downtown) costs around 50 AED; getting to the actual city center costs closer to 100 AED, since the emirate is large and distances are significant.
19 days ago Sharjah: 50–100 AED
In Ajman, comfort- or business-class taxis can also be booked — similar to Dubai, these tiers are available through apps like Uber and Careem; no specific local taxi company names were mentioned.
30 days ago Uber/Careem — comfort/business tier