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)

Tapping a bank card at the gate does not work here. Buy a nol card from a machine inside the station and tap it both on the way in and on the way out; the fare comes from the number of zones you crossed.

Updated 5 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy a nol card at a station machine
    Machines and ticket offices in every metro station sell them; no ID is needed and they take cash or a card.
  2. 2
    Tap in at the gate
    Hold it on the reader, wait for the green light and the beep, then walk through; too little balance and the gate stays shut.
  3. 3
    Check the platform markings before boarding
    Gold Class and the women-and-children cabins are marked on the floor and the platform doors; otherwise board a general cabin.
  4. 4
    Tap out with the same card
    Touch the same card at the exit gate; this is where the fare is worked out from the zones you crossed.
  5. 5
    Change to a bus or tram on the same card
    Tap onto a bus or tram within 30 minutes and the whole trip is charged as a single journey.

Fares

Single fares3

Single ride on a nol card
3 within one zone, 5 across two adjacent zones, 7.5 beyond - taken when you tap out
3〜7.5 AED ≈ $0.8–2
Single ride on a paper Red Ticket
Dearer than the card, and good for one mode of transport at a time
4〜8.5 AED ≈ $1–2
Single ride in Gold Class
The surcharge applies on metro and tram only, and is not charged twice for a transfer within the same zone
6〜15 AED ≈ $2–4

Passes & multi-ride1

Seven-day travel pass
50/80/110 for one, two and all zones on Silver - double on Gold; the only pass an anonymous card can hold
50〜110 AED ≈ $14–30

Card itself2

Price of a nol Silver card
19 of the 25 is starting credit; the other 6 is the card issuing cost
25 AED ≈ $7
Price of the paper Red Ticket itself
It can hold up to 10 single trips, or 5 day passes
2 AED ≈ $0.5

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
No tap-to-ride with a bank card; it is phase three of the ABT upgrade
Card payment at machines
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Machines and ticket offices take cards, though no brand is named
IC card
At the gates: The nol card - tap it both entering and leaving
App tickets
It cannot be added to an iPhone
nol Pay
In the wallet: A virtual nol card only goes onto compatible Samsung and Huawei devices
QR ticketing
At the gates: QR ticketing is phase one of the ABT upgrade and has not started
Paper tickets
At the gates: The paper Red Ticket, valid for one mode of transport at a time
Cash
At machines: Never at the gate; it pays for the card itself and for top-ups

Quick facts

Hours
05:00-24:00; Sun from 08:00
Fares from
3 AED+

Heads-up

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Operating hours 05:00-24:00; Sun from 08:00
Typical duration Two lines, Red and Green; Terminals 1 and 3 at the airport each have their own station
Check the official site for the latest times and service status

Route map

2 lines ·52 stations
© OpenStreetMapOpenMapTilesData (ODbL)