Understanding Al Majaz and How to Get Around
Al Majaz is a large-scale, mixed-use complex in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and forms part of Downtown Sharjah (also called Sharjah City). It sits around Khalid Lagoon and is divided into three districts — Al Majaz 1 on the northeast side, Al Majaz 2 on the southeast side, and Al Majaz 3 on the west side. The area is home to notable landmarks including Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Majaz Amphitheatre Island, Al Noor Island, Al Qasba and Al Qasba Canal, The Flag Island, Al Montazah Parks, City Centre Sharjah, Al Khan Lagoon and Maryam Island. Because it has permanent residents and a couple of hotels alongside its attractions, it functions as a lived-in neighbourhood as much as a visitor destination — which means the practical transport options are those of Sharjah city rather than a self-contained resort.
How Tourists Move Around
Al Majaz is not served by its own dedicated tourist transport system. Visitors get around using the same mix of modes as residents and other travellers in Sharjah: buses, taxis and ride-hailing, and walking. Sharjah itself has no metro or tram network of its own, so rail-based travel in the region means the neighbouring emirate's metro, which is useful mainly for connections rather than for moving around Al Majaz itself. For getting between the landmarks scattered around Khalid Lagoon — the Waterfront, the Amphitheatre Island, Al Noor Island, Al Qasba and the parks — short taxi or ride-hailing hops and walking are the most straightforward approaches.
Rail, Metro and Tram
There is no metro or tram within Sharjah or Al Majaz. The nearest rail-based option is the Dubai Metro, which sits across the emirate boundary and is relevant to visitors mainly as part of a journey into or out of Sharjah. On the Dubai side, the metro connects with bus services that continue onward to Sharjah. For example, a journey from Dubai's Al Ghubaiba area toward Al Majaz Park can be made by taking the Dubai Metro from Al Ghubaiba Metro Station to Stadium Metro Station, then continuing by bus. The metro is therefore best understood as a feeder into Sharjah's bus network rather than as a way of getting around Al Majaz once you are there.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Buses are the main form of public transport serving the Al Majaz area, and they are also the link between Sharjah and Dubai. A direct Dubai RTA bus route, E306, runs from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Dubai (Bur Dubai area) to Sharjah, arriving at Al Wahda Road, Al Wahda Center — the arrival point for Al Majaz Park. This is an inter-emirate route, so expect it to be a longer trip than a purely local journey, and note that it departs from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station 14 rather than Station 1.
An alternative all-public-transport option combines the Dubai Metro with two buses: metro from Al Ghubaiba to Stadium, then bus F24 from Stadium Bus Station to Sahara Center, then bus 8 from Sahara Center to Al Wahda Street. This involves more changes but keeps you on public transport the whole way.
For information and enquiries, Dubai's bus and metro services are operated by the Dubai RTA, which can be reached on 8009090 or at ask@rta.ae and rta.ae.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a practical and direct way to cover the inter-emirate journey and to move between Al Majaz's spread-out landmarks. A taxi from the Al Ghubaiba area of Dubai to Al Majaz Park is considerably quicker than the bus, though it costs more. Taxi operators serving this route include Dubai Taxi Corporation (+971 4 208 0808) and SRTA, the Sharjah taxi operator (600-525252).
Walkability
Al Majaz is built around Khalid Lagoon, with its districts and landmarks arranged along the waterfront and on islands within the lagoon. The waterfront areas — Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Qasba and the corniche-style surroundings — are the most naturally walkable parts of the area, and walking is a pleasant way to move between nearby attractions on the same stretch of lagoon. However, the area is large and its landmarks are distributed across three districts and several islands, so walking alone will not cover everything; expect to combine walking with taxis or buses for longer legs. Note that reaching an island such as Al Noor Island or the Amphitheatre Island involves a crossing rather than a simple stroll.
Getting from the Airport into the City
The options available to a visitor arriving in the region are the same ones that serve the Dubai–Sharjah corridor: inter-emirate buses such as route E306 from Al Ghubaiba, the metro-plus-bus combination via Stadium and Sahara Center, or a taxi. Because Al Ghubaiba, Stadium and Sahara Center are all on the Dubai side, an airport arrival will generally involve reaching one of these hubs first and then continuing to Al Wahda Center or Al Wahda Street, which is the arrival point for Al Majaz Park. A taxi is the simplest door-to-door choice, particularly with luggage, while the bus and metro combination is the cheaper public-transport alternative.
Practical Tips for Visitors
- Al Majaz is part of Downtown Sharjah, so plan your journeys as Sharjah city trips rather than as movements within a single resort complex.
- There is no metro or tram in Sharjah; the Dubai Metro is useful only as a connection on the Dubai side of your journey.
- For the Dubai–Sharjah leg, the direct bus route E306 runs from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station 14 to Al Wahda Center, near Al Majaz Park.
- If you prefer to stay on public transport, combine the Dubai Metro (Al Ghubaiba to Stadium) with bus F24 to Sahara Center and bus 8 to Al Wahda Street.
- Taxis are faster than buses for the inter-emirate trip; Dubai Taxi Corporation and SRTA (Sharjah) are the operators named for this route.
- Allow extra time for inter-emirate journeys, since they involve crossing between Dubai and Sharjah.
- Walk the waterfront stretches around Khalid Lagoon, but use a taxi or bus to link the more distant landmarks and the islands.
- For bus and metro information, contact the Dubai RTA on 8009090 or at ask@rta.ae.