Everything you wanted to know about the Dubai metro

6 min readJun 20, 2024

The features of the Dubai metro: history, layout, stations and more.

History of the Dubai Metro

In 2024, the Dubai Subway turns 15 years old. In this rather short period of time, it managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records as the longest automated metro route.

Construction began in 2006, and by September 2009 the first line, Red, was ready. It stretches for 52 km, with 10 stations, from the village of Al-Rashidiya to the Jabal Ali harbor. In 2011, another line, the Green Line, was opened, connecting Al Qusais and Dubai Creek. Considering that Dubai is a relatively small city (its area is 35 km²), two lines were enough to cover all the main attractions.

Below we will list all the important technical points related to the local subway, but first, a few interesting facts:

Without a driver. The Guinness Record, which we wrote about above, was awarded precisely for this fact. The Dubai Metro is fully automated.
Up to 90 km/h. At this speed trains move around the city. You can travel the entire length of the Red Line in 70 minutes.
Above the ground. Yes, in fact, the term “subway” in this context is very conditional, since more than 80% of the entire metro network is located on the surface. This has its advantages: you can ride and admire the views.

Map and main metro stations in Dubai

As we wrote above, there are only two metro lines in Dubai — Red and Green. But the number of stations has increased recently, and now there are over 50 of them (the most on Red — 35).

The Red Line starts from Centrepoint station, near the airport. It stretches across the city, along the main highway, Sheikh Zayed Road, and passes many popular landmarks, including the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, Jumeirah Beach and Dubai Marina. At Jabal Ali station (once the terminus) the line bifurcates. Two destinations are emerging: Expo City Dubai and Ibnd Battuta Mall.

The central stations on the Red Line include:

R26 — Business Bay;
R25 — Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall;
R24 — Financial Center;
R23 — Emirates Tower;
R22 — World Trade Center.

If you want to take a ride towards Palm Jumeirah or Dubai Marina, then use the stations:

R35 — Al Khail;
R36 — Sobha Realty;
R37 — DMCC.

How to use the metro in Dubai

Metro trains in the city move without a driver, otherwise the system is similar to the subway we are used to.

To use the metro, you need to find a station, pay the fare and enjoy the ride. The direction of movement is determined by the final station. On Red line this is Centrepoint (formerly Rashidiya) — UAE Exchange/EXPO 2020; on Green Etisalat — Creek.

Dubai metro fare

The price of a metro ride depends on the distance. If you have traveled to Europe or the USA, then this principle is familiar to you: here the cost also varies by zone:

a trip within one zone for an adult will cost $0.82;
traveling through two zones will cost $1.36;
a trip over three zones is $2.04.

Important: these prices are valid if you pay for the trip using a NOL card (more on that later). Single tickets are more expensive.

NOL card

NOL is a reusable travel pass that you top up to travel around the city. It is more profitable to use it than to buy a one-way ticket. By the way, with this card you can pay not only for a trip on the metro, but also for a bus, tram and even a taxi.

The Nol card comes in several types:

Red. Suitable for short trips (for example, if you have a daily layover in Dubai). It can be topped up for a maximum of 10 trips.
Silver. The best option for tourists. The card costs $6.81, of which $5.17 goes to the balance. It can be topped up at any machine.
Golden. Similar to the previous one, only all trips cost twice as much, and you can travel in VIP carriages.
Blue. Suitable for residents and those who live in the city on a permanent basis. The monthly tariff costs $95, and the yearly tariff costs $726.

Dubai metro operating hours

Please note that the Dubai Metro operates on a special schedule. The hours when you can use it depend on the day of the week:

Monday to Thursday (+ Saturday): from 5:00 to 00:00;
Friday: from 5:00 to 1:00;
Sunday: from 8:00 to 00:00.

Car classes in the Dubai Metro

Another distinctive feature of the Dubai subway is the different classes of cars. There are three of them:

Ordinary. As the name suggests, the standard type.
VIP. Half of the last carriage was allocated to the Gold class. It is equipped with more comfortable seats with a decent distance between them for increased comfort.
Female. The first carriage of any train is intended only for women and children. If a man enters it, he may receive a fine.

Rules of behavior in the Dubai Metro

Entering a women’s carriage, being a man is not the only way to get a fine in the Dubai Metro. In fact, the metro has a number of rules that should not be violated.

Note: there are over 5,000 cameras installed throughout the network, so the likelihood of being caught violating is extremely high. The fine is $81.68 and is clearly not worth it.

What not to do in the Dubai Metro:

drink/eat;
sleep (at stations and in the carriage);
listen to loud music;
chew gum;
take seats for disabled people/pregnant women (if you are not one of them).

Tips for Dubai Metro passengers

Using the Dubai Metro is quite easy, but if you want to make your trip as convenient as possible, follow the tips we’ve prepared.

Buy a NOL card. It’s more profitable to travel with her.
Use the metro app or Google maps to avoid getting lost.
Don’t break the rules. At a minimum, to avoid getting a fine.
Follow the signs. In Dubai they think about tourists, so all the necessary information is already available at each station.
Remember about the information desks. They are at every station.

Metro apps and websites

Above we mentioned a special application. Yes, the local subway has it and is available on Google Play and AppStore. It can be found by searching “Dubai Metro”. The application helps you create a route, find out the shortest route and get other important information.

In addition, you can build your path in the Google application. It can also show real-time movement.

All detailed information about the subway is on the official website of Dubai roads here.

Conclusion

The Dubai Metro is a modern, convenient and very affordable way to travel around the city. The principle of its use is similar to other metro networks around the world, so it will be intuitive for everyone. Among the features: the presence of carriages for women and VIP class for those who want to travel in comfort. In addition, traffic jams are not so bad for this type of transport, so sometimes it can be preferable to a taxi (not to mention the difference in price).

If you want to get to us, Gaia Living Real Estate, it is better to get off at the R26 (Business Bay) or R25 (Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall) stations.