United Arab Emirates
Dubai
A city of skyscrapers on a desert coast. The metro runs driverless; the boat across the creek costs one dirham.
Dubai Metro (مترو دبي)
Updated on September 1, 2026
How to ride
- 1Buy a nol card at a station machineMachines and ticket offices in every metro station sell them; no ID is needed and they take cash or a card.
- 2Tap in at the gateHold it on the reader, wait for the green light and the beep, then walk through; too little balance and the gate stays shut.
- 3Check the platform markings before boardingGold Class and the women-and-children cabins are marked on the floor and the platform doors; otherwise board a general cabin.
- 4Tap out with the same cardTouch the same card at the exit gate; this is where the fare is worked out from the zones you crossed.
- 5Change to a bus or tram on the same cardTap onto a bus or tram within 30 minutes and the whole trip is charged as a single journey.
Fares
Single fares3
Passes & multi-ride1
Card itself2
Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026
Payment
Tap to ride 
Card payment at machines 
IC card 
App tickets 
QR ticketing Paper tickets 
Cash Quick facts
Fares
7-day travel passAn anonymous nol card can hold only the 7-day pass; an all-zones version exists
Daily fare capNo daily or weekly cap; every trip is deducted in full
Transfer discountsTransfer within 30 min and it counts as one journey - 3 transfers, 180 min max
Facilities
Lifts (step-free)Lifts reach every level of the station and every train has space for wheelchairs, with tactile guidance paths and audible and flashing alerts when the doors open and close.
Suitcases & luggage（Limited）Two per passenger: one up to 81x58x30 cm and one up to 55x38x20 cm
Free Wi-FiWi-Fi runs across the whole metro network, stations and trains alike.
Rules
Eating & drinking on board（Banned）A fine applies where eating and drinking are prohibited - watch for the signs
Smoking（Banned）No smoking in stations or on trains; the fine is AED 200
Pets（Banned）No animals other than guide dogs for blind passengers
Fare evasion fine（Banned）Riding without paying, or on an invalid card, draws a AED 200 fine
Apps & info
Journey planner app (S'hail)RTA's own journey planner, covering routes and fares across metro, bus and tram
Operating hoursMonday to Thursday and Saturday the stations are open 05:00-24:00, Friday 05:00-01:00 the next day, and Sunday only from 08:00 to midnight. What RTA publishes is the station opening hours, not the departure time of the last train. Nothing runs before 08:00 on a Sunday, so an earlier start means a bus or a taxi.
Heads-up
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Fold a bicycle or e-scooter in the station and on board
Your own bicycle or e-scooter can come along if it folds down within the allowed luggage size. Keep it folded in the station and on the train, use the wide gate, take the lift rather than the escalator, and put it in the luggage area on board. Riding inside stations is not allowed.
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Alcohol bought at the airport cannot come on board
Carrying alcohol you bought at the airport or on the plane counts as bringing alcoholic beverages onto public transport, which draws a AED 500 fine. With a duty-free bag in hand, take a taxi rather than the metro.
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Metro machines have a minimum top-up amount
Topping up at a metro station machine has to be at least 20 dirhams a time. To add less, use a machine at a tram station, a solar-powered top-up point at one of the bus stops that has one, the nol Pay app or a Zoom store. The rule does not apply to the price of a new card.
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A top-up on the website does not land straight away
A top-up made through the RTA website or some of its apps (RTA Dubai, S'hail) takes 45 minutes to 4 hours to land, and only activates once you tap the card on a gate or another reader. If you need to ride straight after landing, buy at a station machine or ticket office instead.
Timetable
Route map
Editor Naotaka