Dubai Metro Route Map – Complete Line Guide, Zones, Fares & Journey Planner
Everything you need to navigate Dubai Metro's two-line network — Red and Green Line routes, all 55 stations, fare zones, interchange points, real journey examples with exact fares, connections to Dubai Tram and airport terminals, and how to plan any trip using your NOL card.
🔴 Red Line: 35 stations · 52.1 km · Rashidiya → UAE Exchange · Airport T1, T2, T3 · Burj Khalifa · Mall of the Emirates · Dubai Marina
🟢 Green Line: 20 stations · 22.5 km · Creek → Al Qusais / Al Ras · Gold Souk · BurJuman · Dubai Healthcare City
🔄 Interchange: Union (R7/G17) and BurJuman (R8/G6) — free transfer, no re-tap
💳 Fares: Silver Zone 1 AED 4 · Zone 2 AED 5 · All Zones AED 7.50 · Daily cap AED 18
🚋 Tram connection: Dubai Marina station (Red Line) → Dubai Tram
Understanding the Dubai Metro Route Network
Dubai Metro's two lines serve fundamentally different parts of the city — knowing which line covers your destination is the first step in planning any journey. The Red Line is the primary spine of the network, running east–west along the length of Sheikh Zayed Road from the airport through Downtown, the financial district, and the Marina corridor out to the southern suburbs. It carries significantly higher passenger volumes and serves virtually every tourist destination in Dubai.
The Green Line is a shorter loop through the older city districts — Deira's residential and commercial areas, the historic Bur Dubai waterfront, the healthcare and cultural clusters, and the northern Deira communities near the Sharjah border. For residents living in these areas, the Green Line is a daily essential. For tourists, it is primarily useful for reaching the Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Al Fahidi Historical District, and Dubai Frame — none of which have a convenient Red Line stop.
Red Line Route – Rashidiya to UAE Exchange
The Red Line travels broadly along two major arterials — Omar Bin Al Khattab Road through the airport and Deira districts, then transitioning to Sheikh Zayed Road (the E11 highway) for the long run through Downtown Dubai and the Marina corridor. The Route 2020 extension (stations R29–R35) branches southwest through Dubai Hills, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Expo City, Al Furjan, and Discovery Gardens to UAE Exchange.
| Zone | Stations | Key Area Served |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Zone | Rashidiya → Airport T3 (R1–R3) | Dubai International Airport T1, T2, T3 |
| Deira Zone | GGICO → BurJuman (R4–R8) | Deira City Centre, Al Rigga, Union, BurJuman |
| Bur Dubai Zone | Khalid Bin Al Waleed → Al Jafiliya (R9–R12) | Computer Street, Al Fahidi, Al Seef, Zabeel |
| Downtown Zone | World Trade Centre → Business Bay (R13–R17) | DWTC, Emirates Towers, DIFC, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall |
| Sheikh Zayed Rd Zone | Noor Bank → Mall of the Emirates (R18–R20) | Al Quoz, Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai |
| New Dubai Zone | Al Barsha → Dubai Marina (R21–R27) | Al Barsha, DIC, JLT, DMCC, Dubai Marina, JBR gateway |
| Route 2020 Zone | DAMAC → UAE Exchange (R28–R35) | Dubai Hills, Expo City, Al Furjan, Discovery Gardens |
Green Line Route – Creek to Al Qusais / Al Ras
The Green Line forms an asymmetric loop — from Creek in the south it travels north through Bur Dubai and Deira, splitting into two northern branches: the eastern branch terminating at Al Qusais and the western branch terminating at Al Ras (nearest the Gold Souk). The line was designed to fill coverage gaps left by the Red Line in older, denser city districts where elevated rail construction along the creek waterfront created a distinct route corridor.
| Segment | Stations | Key Area Served |
|---|---|---|
| South Segment | Creek → BurJuman (G1–G6) | Dubai Frame, Al Jadaf, DHCC, Al Seef, Al Fahidi, BurJuman |
| Central Segment | Al Karama → Union (G7–G17) | Karama Market, Oud Metha, Rashid Hospital, Al Qusais, Union |
| North-West Branch | Union → Al Ras (G17–G20) | Baniyas Square, Palm Deira, Gold Souk, Spice Souk |
| North-East Branch | Union → Al Qusais (G17, G14–G12) | Stadium, Abu Baker Al Siddique, Salah Al Din, Al Nahda |
Dubai Metro Fare Zones – How the Zone System Works
Dubai Metro does not use a station-by-station distance fare — it uses a three-tier zone system. The system calculates the number of zones your journey crosses between tap-in and tap-out stations and charges accordingly. The key practical rule: the system always charges the lowest applicable zone fare for your actual journey — so a 2-stop journey on a long line still only costs Zone 1 (AED 4 Silver) even if those 2 stops happen to cross a zone boundary marker.
| Zone | Journey Type | Silver Fare | Gold Fare | Example Journey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Short — same zone | AED 4.00 | AED 8.00 | Union → BurJuman · Mall of Emirates → Al Barsha |
| Zone 2 | Medium — cross-zone | AED 5.00 | AED 10.00 | Airport T3 → Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall · GGICO → DIFC |
| All Zones | Long — full network | AED 7.50 | AED 14.00 | Rashidiya → UAE Exchange · Airport T3 → Dubai Marina |
| Daily Cap | After cap reached | AED 18.00 | AED 36.00 | All further trips free until midnight reset |
Common Dubai Metro Journeys – Routes, Fares & Travel Times
These are the journeys most frequently made by both residents and tourists — pulled from the actual network with real fares, realistic travel times including walk time to/from stations, and any line changes required.
| Journey | Line(s) | Change? | Silver Fare | Est. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Airport T3 → Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall | Red only | No | AED 5.00 | ~20 min metro + 10 min walk |
| Dubai Airport T3 → Dubai Marina | Red only | No | AED 7.50 | ~35 min |
| Dubai Airport T3 → Mall of the Emirates | Red only | No | AED 7.50 | ~30 min |
| Dubai Airport T3 → Gold Souk (Al Ras) | Red + Green | Yes — Union | AED 5.00 | ~25 min |
| Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall → Dubai Marina | Red only | No | AED 4.00 | ~15 min |
| Mall of the Emirates → Dubai Frame (Creek) | Red + Green | Yes — BurJuman | AED 7.50 | ~35 min |
| Union → Al Fahidi (Dubai Museum) | Green only | No | AED 4.00 | ~8 min metro + 2 min walk |
| DIFC (Financial Centre) → Dubai Marina | Red only | No | AED 4.00 | ~12 min |
| BurJuman → Dubai Healthcare City | Green only | No | AED 4.00 | ~10 min |
| Rashidiya → UAE Exchange (full Red Line) | Red only | No | AED 7.50 | ~75 min |
How to Change Between Red & Green Line
Line changes at Union and BurJuman are seamless — both are cross-platform interchanges where you walk between Red and Green Line platforms while remaining inside the paid fare zone. No second tap is needed. Your NOL card calculates a single fare from your origin to your final destination regardless of how many line changes you make.
🔄 Union — R7 / G17
Use for Green Line destinations north of Union — Baniyas Square (G18), Palm Deira (G19), Al Ras/Gold Souk (G20), and the north-east branch toward Al Nahda (G13) and Al Qusais (G12). Union is the busier of the two interchanges and has more exits and bus connections.
🔄 BurJuman — R8 / G6
Use for Green Line destinations south of BurJuman — Al Karama (G7), Oud Metha (G8), Dubai Healthcare City (G3/G9), Al Jadaf (G2), and Creek/Dubai Frame (G1). Direct connection to BurJuman Mall above the station.
Connecting to Dubai Tram, Buses & Airport from Metro
Dubai Metro connects to the wider RTA transport network at several key interchange points. All connections use the same NOL card — no separate ticket needed. Monthly pass holders get unlimited use of all connected modes.
| Metro Station | Connects To | Destination Reached | NOL Card Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Terminal 1 (R2) | DXB T1 & T2 underground walkway | Dubai Airport Terminals 1, 2 | ✓ |
| Airport Terminal 3 (R3) | DXB T3 underground walkway | Dubai Airport Terminal 3 (Emirates) | ✓ |
| Dubai Marina (R27) | Dubai Tram | JBR, Palm Gateway, Media City, Knowledge Village | ✓ |
| DMCC (R26) | Dubai Tram (short walk) | JLT, Marina Walk, Media City | ✓ |
| Union (R7/G17) | Major RTA bus hub | Deira, Al Rigga, Sharjah, Ajman intercity | ✓ |
| Al Ghubaiba (R11) | Water Bus + RTA bus hub | Old Dubai routes, Abra (Dubai Creek) | ✓ |
| Nakheel Harbour & Tower (R25) | Taxi rank + Palm Monorail nearby | Palm Jumeirah (taxi) / Atlantis (monorail) | Monorail separate fare |
How to Plan a Dubai Metro Journey
For most straightforward journeys on the Red Line, planning is simple — identify your origin and destination station, confirm they're on the same line, and board. Complex multi-line journeys or those requiring bus/tram connections are best handled with RTA's official tools.
📱 S'hail App (Best)
RTA's official multi-modal journey planner — enter any two points in Dubai (not just stations) and it returns the optimal route, exact fare, live departure times, and walk directions. Free on iOS and Android. Works for metro + bus + tram combined journeys.
🗺️ Google Maps
Fully integrated with Dubai Metro — select transit mode and Google Maps shows Red/Green line options with transfer points, fare estimates, and real-time departure info. Good for quick planning without downloading a dedicated app.
🌐 rta.ae Journey Planner
RTA's web-based journey planner at rta.ae — useful for desktop planning before travel. Covers metro, bus, tram, and multi-modal combinations with fare calculations.
🏧 Station Staff & TVM
Every Dubai Metro station has RTA staff available during operating hours. For complex journeys — especially ones combining metro with bus or water bus — station staff can advise the optimal route and interchange points.