The Dubai Tram, and the monorail it is supposed to connect to
The tram is on the same nol zone tariff as the metro — there is no separate tram fare, and RTA never states that the line sits within one zone, so the familiar “AED 3 flat” figure is an inference nobody publishes. RTA publishes no frequency and no end-to-end journey time. And RTA’s page still says the tram “links Dubai Metro and the Palm Monorail” while the monorail’s own operator carries a notice that the service is “temporarily suspended until further notice”.
The line, as RTA publishes it
10.6 km, 11 stations, running along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road. RTA describes it as “the first tramway project outside Europe powered by a ground-based electric supply system” and “the world’s first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors”. The stations, in RTA’s own spelling: Jumeirah Beach Residence 1, Jumeirah Beach Residence 2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Marina, Marina Towers, Mina Seyahi, Media City, Palm Jumeirah, Knowledge Village, Al Sufouh.
Hours, verbatim: “Monday to Saturday 06:00 AM to 01:00 (Next Day)” and “Sunday 09:00 AM to 01:00 (Next Day)”. That three-hour later start on Sundays is published as a fact and never explained.
Fares
RTA publishes one zonal table for its public transport, and the tram sits inside it. There is no tram-specific fare anywhere.
| Card | Within 1 zone | 2 adjacent zones | More than 2 zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver / Personal | 3 | 5 | 7.50 |
| Gold | 6 | 10 | 15 |
| nol Red TicketSingle journey | 4 | 6 | 8.50 |
| Red Ticket, Gold | 8 | 12 | 17 |
RTA’s own wording on Gold is the load-bearing sentence: “Gold class passengers are charged a Gold Surcharge on top of their regular fares when using the tram and metro only.” Free for children five and under; 50% for students and senior Emiratis; free for People of Determination. Up to three transfers within a 180-minute journey — and RTA never says whether a metro-to-tram change counts as one of them.
The Palm Monorail is a separate ticket, at a separate fare
This is the trap, and the operator’s own page is the answer. The Palm Monorail publishes a standalone tariff and says nothing whatsoever about nol.
| Journey | Single | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Gateway ↔ Atlantis Aquaventure | 20 | 30 |
| Palm Gateway ↔ Al Ittihad Park / Palm Jumeirah Mall | 10 | 15 |
| Al Ittihad Park ↔ Palm Jumeirah Mall | 5 | 10 |
| Any station to any station | — | 35 |
Also published: a Family Pass at AED 99 (return, four people, Gateway to Atlantis), a UAE Resident Monthly Pass at AED 135 for six round trips, a Palm Resident Pass at AED 165 monthly, and 50% off for over-60s and People of Determination card holders.
Read the top row against the tram fare: a single monorail hop to Atlantis costs more than six one-zone tram journeys.
And check before you plan around it. As of 4 September 2026 the operator’s own homepage carries: “Please be advised that Monorail service is temporarily suspended until further notice due to maintenance.” The notice carries no date and no restart date, and RTA’s tram page has not been reconciled with it — it still describes the connection as working. The operator also publishes no operating hours, no frequency and no journey time, and its own FAQ and timings pages return 404.
Practicalities RTA does publish
- Women and children cabin. u.ae says “One silver class cabin compartment is reserved for women and children”; RTA says “cabins designated for only women and children commuters”. Singular and plural, two authorities, unreconciled — and neither publishes a boys’ age limit or says whether use is compulsory.
- Gold Class. “Private cabins for gold class tickets holder only, that have wide leather seats and panoramic views”.
- Luggage. Two suitcases per passenger, one at most 81×58×30 cm and one at most 55×38×20 cm.
- Accessibility. Tactile guidance paths, audible and flashing platform alerts, wheelchair spaces, lift access to all levels, and displays in trains and stations.
- Bicycles and scooters. Folded only, within the luggage dimensions, through the wide gate, in the lift rather than the escalator, stored in the luggage area. See e-scooters and cycling.
RTA publishes no current tram fines schedule. Its fines page is a payment interface with no violations and no amounts. The only schedule RTA still serves anywhere is inside its metro brochure stamped “Updated September 2011” — a document that also prints Silver fares from AED 1.80 to 5.80 in a four-tier structure that no longer exists, roughly 40% below the fares RTA publishes today. It is in our catalogue for good reason. We do not reproduce its fine amounts as current.
On extensions: RTA publishes no tram extension commitment and no date. The long-discussed extension exists in reporting and in RTA magazine material, not on a service page.
Questions nobody answers
- How often does the tram come? No headway published in any readable form.
- How long does it take end to end? Not published.
- Why does it start three hours later on Sunday? Published, never explained.
- Does the metro-to-tram change cost extra? The transfer rule never names the tram.
- Is the monorail running today? The operator says suspended with no date; RTA says the connection works.
- Can I use nol on the monorail? The operator’s ticket page is silent, and publishes only its own tariff.
- How far is the walk between the tram and metro stations of the same name? Unpublished.
- What is the fine for a man entering the women and children cabin? RTA publishes no current amount.
More in Getting around
See everything in Getting around.
Common questions
How much does the Dubai Tram cost?
It is on the same nol zone tariff as the metro — AED 3 within one zone on a Silver card, 5 across two, 7.50 beyond. There is no tram-specific fare, and RTA never states that the line sits within one zone, so the familiar flat figure is an inference nobody publishes. Gold class is charged as a surcharge, doubling those figures.
How often does the Dubai Tram run?
RTA publishes no frequency and no end-to-end journey time in any readable form. It publishes hours: Monday to Saturday 06:00 to 01:00, and Sunday from 09:00 — a three-hour later start that is published as a fact and never explained.
Can I use my nol card on the Palm Monorail?
The monorail's own ticket page publishes a standalone tariff and says nothing about nol at all. A single hop from Palm Gateway to Atlantis Aquaventure is AED 20, or 30 return — more than six one-zone tram journeys.
Is the Palm Monorail running?
Check before you plan around it. The operator's own homepage carries: 'Monorail service is temporarily suspended until further notice due to maintenance' — with no date and no restart date — while RTA's tram page still describes the connection as working. The operator also publishes no hours and no frequency, and its FAQ and timings pages return 404.
How many stations does the Dubai Tram have?
11 stations over 10.6 km, along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road. RTA describes it as the first tramway outside Europe on a ground-based power supply and the world's first using platform screen doors.