Dubai Metro Map 2026: Routes, Stations, Timings, Fares & Nol Card Guide

Content updated: 04 Aug 2026  Timings verified: 04 Aug 2026 Fares verified: 04 Aug 2026 Zone data verified: 04 Aug 2026

This Dubai Metro map covers both operational lines — the Red Line and the Green Line, including the Route 2020 branch to Expo City Dubai — with every current station, its fare zone, interchange, and airport stop, plus the original schematic diagram, a station-by-station zone list, a fare calculator, and a route planner. Use it to check Dubai Metro stations, Dubai Metro zones, Dubai Metro timings, and Dubai Metro fares before you travel. Looking for which zone a specific station sits in? Jump straight to the zone map section. Airport passengers can go straight to the airport route section, and station-specific first and last trains can differ from the network's general opening hours, so check the first and last train section before a late-night or early-morning journey.

Dubai Metro Map

This schematic shows both current lines in the order trains actually run — the Red Line trunk between Centrepoint and the Jebel Ali junction (officially National Paints station), with its two onward branches to Expo City Dubai (Route 2020) and Life Pharmacy, plus the Green Line between e& (Etisalat) and Creek. It's an original diagram built from verified RTA station data, drawn schematically rather than to geographic scale — the same convention used by most metro maps worldwide. Scroll sideways on mobile to see the full network; interchange points (Union and BurJuman) are marked where the two lines meet.

Full station-by-station data — including fare zones, station codes, former names, and nearby landmarks — is provided as ordinary text in the tables further down this page, so it's available even if the diagram above doesn't load.

Dubai Metro Lines Explained

Dubai Metro currently runs two operational lines. The Red Line is the longer of the two at roughly 67 km and 35 stations, running from Centrepoint (formerly Rashidiya) in the northeast, parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, out toward Jebel Ali in the southwest — where it splits into two branches, one continuing to Expo City Dubai via Route 2020, the other to Life Pharmacy. The Green Line covers 22.5 km and 20 stations, staying within Deira and Bur Dubai, from e& (Etisalat) in the north to Creek in the south, broadly following Dubai Creek.

The two lines cross at two interchange stations — Union and BurJuman — where you can change platforms without leaving the paid zone. Two Red Line stations, Sobha Realty and DMCC, connect directly to the Dubai Tram, which is how most visitors reach Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail. A third line, the Blue Line, is under construction and expected to open by 2029 — it isn't running yet, so treat any map or guide that shows it as a current route as outdated. See the Blue Line section below for what's confirmed so far.

Dubai Metro Red Line

The Red Line is the one most tourists use first — it's the only line that reaches Dubai International Airport directly, and it strings together Downtown Dubai, DIFC, Dubai Marina, and the business districts along Sheikh Zayed Road before splitting at the Jebel Ali junction (officially National Paints station). One branch continues to Expo City Dubai (see Route 2020); the other continues to Life Pharmacy, serving the older Jebel Ali industrial and residential area. Trains run every 2–4 minutes at peak times and 5–7 minutes off-peak, with a full one-way run between Centrepoint and Expo City Dubai taking around 74 minutes end to end.

Former names are shown in brackets — useful if you're working from an older map, blog post, or printed guide. See the zone map section above for each station's fare zone.

Dubai Metro Green Line

The Green Line stays inside older Dubai — Deira and Bur Dubai — and is the line to use for the Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Dubai Museum, Al Fahidi historic district, and Dubai Healthcare City. It interchanges with the Red Line at the same two stations, Union and BurJuman, so you're never more than one transfer from anywhere on the Red Line. Trains take roughly 39–40 minutes end to end between e& (Etisalat) and Creek.

Dubai Metro Interchange Stations

Only two stations let you switch between the Red and Green Lines without leaving the paid zone. Allow 5–8 minutes to walk between platforms at either one, especially during peak hours.

A short walk between two nearby stations (for example, from a Green Line station to a bus stop) isn't the same as an in-station interchange — only Union and BurJuman let you cross between Red and Green without exiting the gates.

Dubai Metro First and Last Train

The times above describe when the network as a whole is running — not when a specific station sees its first or last train. Because both lines are long, a station near a terminus (like Centrepoint, Creek, or Expo City Dubai) will have an earlier last departure than a station in the middle of the line, simply because the last train has further to travel to reach it. Direction matters too: the last train heading toward Centrepoint and the last train heading toward Expo City Dubai won't leave the same station at the same time.

A few practical patterns worth knowing:

• Trains generally start around 5:00 AM at each line's terminus stations on weekdays and Saturday, and 8:00 AM on Sunday — but a station further along the line will see its actual first train a few minutes to around half an hour later.
• Last trains are generally timed to reach the terminus stations by network closing time (midnight, or 1:00 AM Friday) — so if you're travelling toward a terminus late at night, check that a train departing your station will actually reach the end of the line before it shuts.
• If your journey needs a transfer at Union or BurJuman, build in the 5–8 minute walk between platforms — a "last train" connection that looks fine on paper can be missed if the connecting train has already left.
• Route 2020 branch and Life Pharmacy branch services can run to a slightly different last-train pattern than the Red Line trunk, since both meet at the National Paints junction.

Nol Card Guide

A Nol card is mandatory for every Dubai Metro journey — there's no cash option, no single paper ticket bought at a machine the way some cities work, and no tapping a bank card directly at the gates. You choose from four Nol products, each suited to a different kind of traveller.

All four work across the metro, Dubai Tram, RTA buses, and water buses, and Silver/Gold cards can also be used at RTA parking meters and a range of retail and fuel outlets. Silver and Gold cards are valid for five years from issue; balances top out at AED 1,000 for an anonymous card or AED 5,000 for a registered one. RTA also sells monthly passes loaded onto any card — starting from roughly AED 140 for a single-zone Silver pass, scaling up for wider zone coverage and for Gold.

Where to Buy and Recharge a Nol Card

Silver, Gold, and Red Ticket products are sold at ticket vending machines and station ticket offices in every metro station, so you can buy one the moment you arrive. Blue/Personal cards generally require registration and are issued through RTA service centres or the RTA website/app, since they're linked to your identity for concession pricing and balance recovery. A number of approved retailers (supermarkets and convenience chains across Dubai) also sell and top up Silver cards. For recharging on the go, use the ticket vending machines at any station, the RTA Dubai app, or the Nol Pay app; balance and trip history can be checked the same way. Keep a minimum of AED 7.50 on your card at all times if you plan to travel, since that's the balance needed to tap in for the highest fare tier.

Dubai Metro Routes to Popular Attractions

Here's the nearest metro station for the attractions visitors ask about most, plus what if anything you need beyond walking. "Nearest" doesn't always mean "at the front door" — some attractions need a short taxi, tram, or bus leg after the metro.

Palm Jumeirah and JBR both need the Dubai Tram (and, for the Palm, the separate Palm Monorail) after the metro — there's no direct metro station on either. Always confirm timings for connecting tram or monorail services separately, since they don't run on exactly the same schedule as the metro.

Dubai Metro Rules

RTA enforces on-the-spot fines for common violations. These are the ones travellers run into most, cross-checked against RTA's published penalty list:

Fine amounts are set by RTA and can be revised — treat this table as a practical guide rather than the final legal reference, and check rta.ae for the current official schedule if it matters for your situation.

Women and Children's Cabin

The middle section of every train is reserved for women and children. Women may sit anywhere on the train, but this section is specifically reserved for women travelling with or without children, and for children generally. Men travelling without a woman or child should avoid this section — doing so risks the AED 100 fine listed above. It's clearly marked with signage on the platform and inside the cabin; during peak hours it fills up quickly, so plan ahead if you're travelling as a mixed group.

Gold Class Cabin

The first cabin of every train is Gold Class — a quieter, less crowded section with a Nol Gold card required to enter. Riding in it requires a Gold card specifically; a Silver, Blue, or Red Ticket doesn't grant access, even if you'd be willing to pay extra at the gate. Fares in Gold Class are double the equivalent Silver fare for the same journey. It's a reasonable option for peak-hour comfort or with luggage, but it isn't necessary for a typical tourist trip — most visitors find Silver Class perfectly comfortable outside rush hour.

Dubai Metro Accessibility

Every station has lifts and tactile guidance paths for visually impaired passengers, along with dedicated wheelchair spaces on board every train and platform screen doors for safety. Audio and visual next-station announcements run throughout the system. People of Determination can travel free of charge on the metro with a personalised Nol card issued for that purpose. That said, accessibility features can vary in exact layout from station to station — if you need step-free access at a specific entrance, it's worth confirming with RTA or station staff ahead of an unfamiliar journey rather than assuming every entrance is identical.

Dubai Metro With Children

Children under 5 years old, or under 90 cm in height, travel free — no ticket or card needed for them specifically. Older children need their own Nol card and pay the standard fare unless travelling on a registered concession (Blue) card where eligible. Strollers are permitted; use the designated luggage/wheelchair space in the cabin rather than the aisle, and be prepared to fold a stroller during very crowded peak-hour travel. The Women and Children's cabin (the middle section of the train) is a practical option for families, since it's generally calmer than the rest of the train. Keep an eye on children around platform edges and escalators, and plan routes with an interchange in mind — a transfer at Union or BurJuman with young kids in tow takes longer than the timetable's raw transfer time suggests.

Upcoming Dubai Metro Blue Line

Approved in November 2023 with an investment of roughly AED 18 billion, the Blue Line will be Dubai Metro's third line — about 30 km long with 14 stations, split between roughly 14.5 km elevated and 15.5 km underground. Construction began in 2024, and RTA's target opening date is 9 September 2029, timed to mark the metro's 20th anniversary.

The line connects to the existing network at both ends: one branch meets the Red Line at Centrepoint, the other meets the Green Line at Creek, with the two branches joining at an underground Y-junction interchange, International City 1. From there it continues out to Academic City, serving Ras Al Khor, Dubai Festival City, International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Mirdif, and Al Warqa along the way. One standout station — Dubai Creek Harbour (Emaar Properties Station) — is designed by SOM, the architects behind Burj Khalifa, and is planned to be the tallest metro station in the world. RTA projects the line will carry around 320,000 passengers a day once open.

Separately, in April 2026 Dubai's Ruler announced a further planned line — referred to as the Gold Line — a roughly 42 km, fully underground route intended to serve areas including Business Bay and Bur Dubai. It's at an early planning stage with no confirmed opening date, so we're not treating it as part of the current network here; we'll expand this section once route and station details are officially confirmed.

Is Dubai Metro Good for Tourists?

For most first-time visitors, yes — it's clean, frequent, air-conditioned, and reaches a genuinely large share of the attractions tourists actually visit: the airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Old Dubai's souks are all on the network, and fares are low compared with taxis. Safety and cleanliness are generally strong points, with visible security and well-maintained stations and trains.

Where it's weaker: it doesn't reach Palm Jumeirah, JBR, or the newer beachfront and desert-facing attractions directly, so you'll often combine it with the tram, a monorail, or a taxi for the last leg. Dubai's summer heat makes even a 10-minute walk from a station genuinely uncomfortable for several months of the year, which matters for stations like Max (Dubai Frame) or Al Ras (Spice Souk) that aren't right at the entrance. Late-night travellers need to watch the clock, since the network closes by midnight most nights (1:00 AM Friday), and families with a lot of luggage will find the two-bag limit restrictive. Overall, it's an excellent backbone for a Dubai trip, best combined with occasional taxis for the gaps it doesn't cover.

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