Our experience taking the bus from Sharjah to Muscat [2025]

Are you wondering how to book a bus from the UAE to Oman? This article is for you! More specifically, we will talk about the Mwasalat bus 203 that goes from Sharjah Al Jubail bus station to Muscat Azaiba bus station. We rode the bus on January 3rd 2025, so the information is correct at the time of writing. Consult the company's website to check the schedule and price.

As of January 1st 2025, it was not possible to book a ticket online, the website showed no availability for all routes. It may change in the future, making the booking process much easier. Head to their website to check by yourself.

Booking the tickets

We had read online that there might be 3 ways to book this specific bus : on the website, via phone/whatsapp, or directly at the office. The website was not showing any tickets, and no one answered our calls and messages, so we resorted to visiting their booth, located in Sharjah's Al Jubail bus station. There is a daily lunch break from 12pm to 2pm. We showed up just after lunch and the employee informed us that the tickets were sold out for both buses going the next day (06:30am and 04:30pm). As we really needed to go towards Oman and the flights were too expensive (around 90€), we bought tickets for the day after.

The location of the Mwasalat booth within the station. (25.350429, 55.381343)

Price for a one-way ticket is 100AED (approx 25€), payable by cash only, in dirham. At booking time, you need to show a passport for each passenger. You'll receive a printed ticket with the details of your journey. We were advised to arrive at the station 1h before the scheduled departure for a check-in: as we had booked the 6:30am, we were to arrive at 5:30am.

The journey

We got to Al Jubail station in Sharjah at 5:30am (it's quite easy to stop taxis at all times). The booth opened just in time and checked our passports once again. As we are Europeans, we did not need visas to cross to Oman, but it seemed that other passengers were showing extra paperwork, so be prepared to present your visa/documentation at that time. Our ticket got a stamp and we were asked to wait until it was time to board the bus.

At around 6:20am, the bus showed up at the rank n°2 (Al Ain 118). We dropped our luggage in the hold and started to queue to board. The driver organized us, to his left, families and women, and to the right, men. The first group boarded first, taking the front seats (there are no assigned seats).

The bus parks on rank n°2, around 15min before the scheduled departure

At 6:35am, the bus left the station, almost on time. The journey is supposed to last 8h15 if you're riding until the end.

At 9:30am we arrived at the border crossing. There is an exit fee to pay when you exit the UAE by land, payable by cash or card. Upon payment, you get stamped out of the country. Follows the Omani side that lasts a bit longer, first to be stamped and then to check the luggage of every passenger.

At 10:50am (1h20 later), we officially entered Oman, having all cleared successfully the border crossing.

At 12:00pm, we stopped for 15 minutes at a cafeteria for a short toilet break, and from there, headed straight to Muscat.

We arrived 10 minutes after the schedule in Muscat. We chose to stop at the airport to be able to purchase a sim card and be sure to find an ATM easily. From the airport, we booked an Otaxi to head into town.

Overall the journey was very smooth : the bus is comfortable (although maybe a bit to much A/C), USB plugs for each seat, the driver very helpful, and the schedule pretty much respected. For a third of the price of the plane, it was very much worth it to us.

We hope you found the information helpful, and don't hesitate to follow our adventures in the Middle East on our Instagram (@lisaandpol) or on Youtube (Lisa & Pol travel the world).