Dubai Metro
The driverless metro that runs 90 km through Dubai on two lines — the Red Line from the airport past Downtown to the Marina and Expo City, and the Green Line around the Creek — clean, cheap and air-conditioned.
Opened in 2009, Dubai Metro is fully automated and carries around 700,000 passengers a day. The Red Line runs 52 km from Centrepoint near the airport along Sheikh Zayed Road to the Marina, splitting at Jabal Ali towards Expo City; the Green Line loops through Deira and Bur Dubai around the Creek. Together they reach most of what visitors want, and a taxi covers the rest.
Stations you will use
- Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (Red) — inside the arrivals halls.
- Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (Red) — for Downtown via the Metro Link walkway.
- Sobha Realty and DMCC (Red) — for Dubai Marina, JBR and the tram to the Palm.
- Al Fahidi, Al Ghubaiba and Al Ras (Green) — for Old Dubai and the souks.
- BurJuman and Union — where the two lines cross.
Hours, classes and rules
Trains run Monday to Thursday 05:00–midnight, Friday 05:00–01:00, Saturday 05:00–midnight and Sunday 08:00–midnight, every 3–7 minutes. The front cabin is Gold Class (double fare, leather seats), followed by a women-and-children cabin that men must not enter. Eating, drinking, chewing gum and sleeping across seats are fined — AED 100 and up — as is standing in the wrong cabin. A Blue Line linking the airport to Dubai Creek Harbour and the southern suburbs is under construction for 2029.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — Red Line stations sit inside Terminals 1 and 3 (Emirates); Terminal 2 needs a short taxi or bus link.
