Abu Dhabi Bus Route 21: Rabdan to Al Bateen — Service Withdrawn
🚌 Abu Dhabi Bus Route 21 — Rabdan to Al Bateen
🚌 Route 21: Rabdan to Al Bateen | ⚠️ Service Withdrawn | 📍 Abu Dhabi (former service)
⚠️ Service status: service withdrawn. Route 21 is not part of the current ITC (Abu Dhabi Mobility) bus network. This page is kept as a record of the former service and to point you to the buses that run today — please do not plan a journey around route 21.
📋 What Happened to Route 21?
Route 21 still appeared in ITC’s June 2025 network list when BusUpdate catalogued the network — but it has since been removed from the published list: the current Local Bus Services list runs 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 23, 24, 26 and up, with no route 21 (checked October 2026), and no current ITC announcement or up-to-date source shows the service. On the best available evidence the 21 has been withdrawn after the June 2025 list was published. If ITC republishes the route, this page will be restored to a live guide.
📖 What This Route Was
Route 21 was an Abu Dhabi city local service between Rabdan (Al Maqta) and Al Bateen Children’s Garden — linking the Maqta/Rabdan side of the island with Al Bateen, across the city.
🚌 What to Use Instead
- Same corridor today: the 23 runs Al Bateen (Sheikha Fatima Park) ↔ Rabdan (Maqtaa Mall) — it covers the Rabdan ↔ Al Bateen corridor the 21 served.
- Al Bateen ↔ city: the 33 runs ADNEC ↔ Al Bateen, and the 8 links Al Bateen with Zayed Port.
- Rabdan side: the L43 (Rabdan ↔ Al Zahiyah), L42 (Rabdan ↔ Al Maryah Island) and X5 (Rabdan ↔ Corniche Hospital) all run from Rabdan Bus Interchange.
For live times and door-to-door routing, use the Darbi app or journey planner — ITC’s official source. The full current network is listed on the Abu Dhabi bus hub.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does route 21 still run?
On the best available evidence, no. Route 21 has been removed from ITC’s published network list and does not appear in any current ITC source — treat it as withdrawn and use the alternatives above.
When was route 21 withdrawn?
It was still in ITC’s June 2025 published network list, but it has been removed from the current published list (checked October 2026) and no current ITC source shows it running. ITC has not published a separate withdrawal notice that we can find.
Where can I check the current Abu Dhabi network?
In the Darbi app / Darbi journey planner (ITC’s official source) — and on BusUpdate’s Abu Dhabi hub, which lists the routes in the current published network.
Status checked October 2026 against ITC’s June 2025 published network list and current ITC announcements. Older apps and timetable directories built on pre-revamp data may still show route 21 — that data is stale. Independently compiled by the BusUpdate editorial team.