How bad is jet lag flying to Abu Dhabi?

It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 11 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 11 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Abu Dhabi there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Abu Dhabi?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Abu Dhabi?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is on Asia/Dubai. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling east is the harder direction. Shift your bedtime earlier for several days beforehand and seek bright morning light on arrival.

Jet lag to Abu Dhabi by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Los Angeles	11	→ east	13,463 km	16½ hours	~11 days
New York City	8	→ east	11,022 km	13½ hours	~8 days
São Paulo	7	→ east	12,117 km	15 hours	~7 days
Sydney	6	← west	12,085 km	15 hours	~4 days
Tokyo	5	← west	8,052 km	10 hours	~3 days
Singapore	4	← west	5,900 km	7½ hours	~3 days
London	3	→ east	5,476 km	7 hours	~3 days
Paris	2	→ east	5,243 km	7 hours	~2 days
Mumbai	2	← west	1,998 km	3 hours	~1 day
Johannesburg	2	→ east	6,304 km	8 hours	~2 days
Dubai	—	same zone	115 km	1 hour	none

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Abu Dhabi

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Abu Dhabi and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Abu Dhabi time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Abu Dhabi.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Abu Dhabi?: It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 11 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 11 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Abu Dhabi there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Abu Dhabi?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Abu Dhabi?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.