Dubai Metro and Nol Card for First-Timers

The day the Dubai Metro gate refused to open for me, I had AED 5 on my Nol card.

I thought that was enough. It wasn't. To enter the metro, you need at least AED 7.50 on your card, however short your trip is. I was stuck at the gate until I topped up.

That's the kind of thing nobody tells you on your first day. I take the metro four to five times a week now, mostly for work between Deira, Bur Dubai and the BurJuman side, and on weekends to Dubai Mall or to meet friends. I even use it to get to the airport. So here's everything I wish I'd known about the Dubai Metro and the Nol card when I started.

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How the Dubai Metro Works

Dubai Metro has two lines.

The Red Line runs along Sheikh Zayed Road, through areas like Deira, Bur Dubai, Downtown, Dubai Marina and out towards Expo City. It also stops at Dubai International Airport, Terminals 1 and 3.

The Green Line runs through the older parts of the city, around Deira, Bur Dubai and Dubai Creek.

The two lines meet at Union and BurJuman stations, where you can change trains without leaving the station.

Trains run at these times:

• Monday to Thursday: 5am to midnight.
• Friday: 5am to 1am.
• Saturday: 5am to midnight.
• Sunday: 8am to midnight.

Times change during Ramadan and public holidays, so check the RTA app before you travel on those days.

Which Nol Card Should You Get?

You can't pay for the metro with cash at the gate. You need a Nol card, Dubai's transport card. It also works on buses, the tram and some other services.

There are four types.

• Red ticket: AED 2. A paper ticket for occasional travellers. You load it with single trips or a day pass, and it lasts 90 days.
• Silver card: AED 25, which includes AED 19 of credit. It's valid for five years and works for regular travel in standard cabins.
• Gold card: also AED 25 with AED 19 credit, but it gives you access to the Gold Class cabin, and every trip costs double.
• Blue card: AED 70 with AED 20 credit. It's a personal card linked to your Emirates ID, with discounts for students, seniors and People of Determination.

I use a Silver card. I bought mine at the ticket office at Union station. Since AED 19 of the AED 25 is credit, the card itself only cost me AED 6.

I've never bought a Gold card. It costs the same to buy, but paying double on every trip just to sit in a nicer cabin never made sense to me.

If you're visiting for more than a couple of days, get a Silver card, not a red paper ticket. Paper tickets have higher fares and can only hold a limited number of trips.

What a Metro Trip Costs

Fares depend on how many zones you cross. With a Silver card, prices are:

• Within one zone: AED 3.
• Across two zones: AED 5.
• Three zones or more: AED 7.50.

Red paper tickets cost a bit more for the same trips, and Gold Class fares are double the Silver fare. There's also a Silver day pass for AED 20, which is worth it if you're taking lots of trips in one day.

The minimum balance to enter is AED 7.50, the price of the longest single trip. That's the rule that caught me out with AED 5 on my card.

How to Top Up Your Nol Card

When I started, I topped up with cash at the ticket machines in the station. It works, but there's sometimes a queue.

Now I mostly use the Nol Pay app. I top up on my phone, and I don't have to stand in line. You can also top up through the RTA Dubai app and the S'hail app.

If you use a machine, note that many station machines have a minimum top-up of AED 20.

The Stations I Use Most

Living in Deira, my everyday stations are Al Rigga and Union. Both are close to home.

Union is the most useful station on my side of the city, because it's where the Red and Green lines meet. If I need to change lines, I do it there.

BurJuman is the other station I use a lot, mostly for Bur Dubai's restaurants. It's also an interchange between the two lines.

Taking the Metro to Dubai Airport

On my first trip in 2020, I took a taxi from the airport, and it was expensive. Later I found out the metro goes right into the airport, with stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.

Now I take the metro to the airport. I usually carry one big suitcase and one small bag.

The luggage rules are worth knowing:

• Each passenger can carry two pieces of luggage.
• A large suitcase can be up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm.
• A small suitcase can be up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm.
• All luggage must go in the luggage areas inside the cabin.

My tip: avoid rush hour with a big suitcase. It's very hard to get on a crowded train with luggage. When I have a flight, I leave early in the morning or around midday, when trains are quieter.

Cabins: Women and Children, and Gold Class

Every Dubai Metro train has special cabins, and getting this wrong is a common first-timer mistake.

Women and Children cabin

One section of the train is reserved for women and children. The floor on the platform is marked in pink where these cabins stop.

On my first day, I accidentally waited on that side of the platform. Someone kindly told me, and I moved. It's an easy mistake, so look at the floor markings before you stand anywhere.

Gold Class cabin

Gold Class is the premium cabin, and you need a Gold card or Gold fare to use it.

I once saw an inspector checking cards in the Gold cabin. A passenger was sitting there with a Silver card, and he was fined. Riding in Gold Class without paying the Gold fare can cost you AED 200.

Rules That Can Get You Fined

The metro is very clean, and the rules are strict.

• Eating or drinking in the metro cabins: AED 100 fine.
• Chewing gum: also not allowed. I only found this out later.
• Using an area that needs a higher fare, like Gold Class, without paying for it: AED 200.

My personal rule is simple: don't even drink water on the train. Finish it before you go through the gates.

And always tap your card twice, once when you enter and once when you leave. The system needs both taps to charge you the right fare.

When the Metro Gets Crowded

Rush hours are busy, and on some days very busy.

Mornings, from about 7am to 9am, and evenings, from about 5pm to 8pm, are the worst. At Union and BurJuman, I've often had to let the first train go and wait for the next one because there was no space.

On weekend evenings, the Dubai Mall side gets crowded too.

Outside those hours, it's much calmer, and you can usually find a seat.

My Advice for Your First Ride

• Get a Silver card, not a red paper ticket.
• Always keep AED 15 to 20 on it, so you never get stuck at the gate.
• Tap in and tap out, every time.
• Check the floor markings before you stand on the platform.
• Don't eat, drink or chew gum on the train, not even water.
• Avoid rush hour if you're carrying luggage.

One Card, Whole City

Once you have a Silver card with enough balance, the Dubai Metro is the easiest and cheapest way to get around. It took me a stuck gate, a wrong platform and one very expensive airport taxi to learn that. Hopefully, this saves you all three.