© Thomas Haas・Unsplash License

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 Tram

An 11-stop street tram along Dubai Marina and JBR. You ride it on a nol card - tapping a bank card is not an option here - and you tap again on the way out. Crossing the track off a marked crossing is fined.

Updated on September 1, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get a nol card before you ride
    Buy one from a ticket machine at the stop, with cash or a card, or over the counter at a metro station.
  2. 2
    Walk out of the metro to the tram stop
    Leave the metro station and walk to the tram stop next door; tap within 30 minutes and it counts as one journey.
  3. 3
    Tap at the station reader, then board
    Hold the nol card on the reader and wait for the green light or the beep before you board.
  4. 4
    Tap again at the stop where you get off
    Tap the same card on the way out; forget it and you are charged more than the trip cost.

Fares

Single fares5

nol card, within one zone
A trip that stays on the tram comes back as one zone on RTA's own journey planner
3 AED ≈ $0.8
nol card, two adjacent zones
What you pay when a transfer to the metro or a bus carries you into the next zone
5 AED ≈ $1
nol card, more than two zones
The ceiling however many zones you cross; it depends on where your transfers take you
7.5 AED ≈ $2
Gold Class, tram and metro only
Double the regular fare, and not charged twice for the same zone when you transfer
6〜15 AED ≈ $2–4
Red Ticket, paper single trip
AED 4 to 8.5 by zones crossed; the ticket itself costs extra
4〜8.5 AED ≈ $1–2

Passes & multi-ride1

7-day travel pass, all zones
The only pass an unregistered nol card can buy; the Gold-class version costs double
110 AED ≈ $30

Card itself2

The Red Ticket itself
AED 2 for the ticket itself, charged on top of the fare
2 AED ≈ $0.5
Buying a nol Silver or Gold card
AED 6 issuing cost plus AED 19 of ready-loaded credit; valid for five years
25 AED ≈ $7

Children & discounts1

Children five and under
They do not even need a nol card; RTA's two pages disagree at exactly five
0 AED

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
Tapping a bank card to ride has not been introduced here
Card payment at machines What RTA documents is the machines and offices in metro stations
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Cards are taken at the machines and at the ticket office
IC card
At the gates: Tap a nol card to ride; you need at least AED 7.50 on it
App tickets
An iPhone cannot hold a virtual nol card
nol Pay
In the wallet: A virtual nol card only lives on Samsung and Huawei devices
Paper tickets
At the gates: The paper Red Ticket works too, but only one mode of transport at a time
Cash What RTA documents is the machines and offices in metro stations
At machines: Cash buys a card here, and at the ticket office too At the gates: Not accepted as payment for a fare

Quick facts

Hours
06:00-01:00 next day; Sun from 09:00
Fares from
3 AED+
A floor strip marks where one cabin ends; keep out of Gold Class and the women's section. Taken Aug 2019 © Elshad・CC BY-SA 4.0

Heads-up

  • Cross the tracks only at a marked crossing

    Crossing the tracks anywhere other than a marked crossing carries a AED 1,000 fine. The 2014 emirate resolution governing the tram defines a Road User as vehicle drivers and pedestrians, so it applies to you on foot. The promenades in Dubai Marina and JBR cross the tracks repeatedly.

  • The Palm Monorail is suspended, so do not plan to connect

    The Palm Monorail, which meets the tram at Palm Jumeirah, is suspended for maintenance with no end date announced, so the tram alone will not get you to Atlantis. RTA's own tram page still describes the line as linking the metro and the monorail - do not plan a connection from it.

  • Do not sit in Gold Class or the women's area

    Sitting in the Gold Class section or the area reserved for women and children on a regular nol card costs AED 100. RTA names those two cases as the targets of the inspection system it runs on the tram and metro.

Timetable

Operating hours 06:00-01:00 next day; Sun from 09:00
Check the official site for the latest times and service status

Route map

11 stations
© OpenStreetMapOpenMapTilesData (ODbL)
The tram along Dubai Marina and JBR; the track is fenced off from the road. Taken Feb 2024 © Randwick・CC0
Editor Naotaka