From DXB into Dubai: what it costs and what runs
A taxi from Dubai airport starts at AED 20, or AED 25 for a van, plus AED 2.62 per kilometre — though Dubai Airports’ own site says the starting fare is AED 25 flat, which contradicts the RTA. The Red Line serves Terminals 1 and 3 only, from 05:00 daily except Sunday, when it starts at 08:00. Taxis are the only option published as running 24 hours.
Taxi
| Source | Standard | Van | Per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTA — the fare-setting authority | AED 20 | AED 25 | Not stated |
| Dubai Taxi Company — the operator | AED 20 | AED 25 | AED 2.62 |
| Dubai Airports | AED 25 | No split published | Not stated |
The RTA sets fares and Dubai Taxi operates them, and those two agree; Dubai Airports appears to publish the van rate as though it were the only one. We are showing all three rather than quietly picking the lowest.
Dubai Taxi also publishes what gets added: 50 fils per minute waiting, Salik charges when you cross a gate, and AED 20 extra for entering Sharjah. It states it is the exclusive taxi provider at both DXB and DWC, that ranks operate 24/7, and that pink-roof taxis have female drivers and are for women and families. Uber, Careem and Bolt are also available at DXB.
Metro
The Red Line serves Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Terminal 2 has no metro station — RTA’s own connector guide routes it via Abu Hail or Stadium by bus instead. Tickets and nol cards are sold at ticket offices and machines inside both airport stations.
| Day | Published |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 05:00 – midnight |
| Friday | 05:00 – 01:00 the next day |
| Saturday | 05:00 – midnight |
| Sunday | 08:00 – midnight |
Those are station opening hours, not train times. RTA labels them that way, and its own metro brochure states plainly that “the times of the last trains do not depend on the station opening hours”. So the last train leaves before the station shuts, and by how much is not published. If you land late, budget for a taxi rather than the 23:5x on the board.
The fare is the ordinary nol zone fare — there is no airport premium on the metro. The full grid is here: AED 3 to 7.50 on a Silver card depending on how many zones you cross.
The luggage rule people get caught by
RTA limits you to two suitcases per passenger on the metro and publishes exact dimensions: a large case must not exceed 81 × 58 × 30 cm and a small one 55 × 38 × 20 cm. Everything must go in the dedicated luggage area in each cabin.
An 81 cm case is roughly a large check-in bag, so two people with two big cases each are at the limit before hand luggage. No weight limit is published anywhere, despite Dubai Airports telling readers to check RTA for “size and weight restrictions”.
Al Maktoum (DWC)
DWC has no metro station. Dubai Airports publishes two bus routes instead: the F55 to the Expo metro station and the N55 to Ibn Battuta bus and metro stations, both every 30 minutes. A nol card is required — cash is not accepted on buses. Its two official pages name different connecting stations as the one to head for, and RTA’s airport connector guide has no DWC row at all.
What is not published
- Metro journey times. RTA publishes no static journey time between any two stations, only a route planner. Any “X minutes to Downtown” figure is somebody’s estimate.
- First and last train times at the airport stations. Only system-wide station hours exist, and RTA itself says those are a different thing.
- Where the taxi ranks are. The published wording is “in front of the exit door” and “follow the signs”. No level, door or kerb is named.
- Any airport bus fare. Both airport sites defer to RTA, and RTA prices buses by the same nol zones as the metro.
One more caution worth carrying: rta.ae currently hosts at least three mutually contradictory versions of the metro timetable, including a 2020 notice still stating a 07:00 start and a Friday opening of 10:00. The figures on this page are from the current timetable page and Dubai Airports, read on the date below.
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Common questions
What is the cheapest way from Dubai airport to the city?
The metro, where it runs. The Red Line serves Terminals 1 and 3 only and a journey costs the ordinary nol fare. Terminal 2 has no metro station.
How much is a taxi from DXB?
AED 20 to start, or AED 25 for a van per RTA, plus AED 2.62 per kilometre — that per-kilometre figure is Dubai Taxi Company's, not RTA's. Dubai Airports' own site states AED 25 flat. Two official sources, two answers — we publish both.
What time does the metro start from Dubai airport?
05:00 daily, except Sunday when it starts at 08:00. If you land before that, taxis are the only option published as running 24 hours.
Is there a bus from Dubai airport?
Yes, from dedicated stands at all three terminals, but no fare or route number is published by either Dubai Airports or RTA. A nol card is required; cash is not accepted.
How do I get from Terminal 2 to Dubai?
Terminal 2 is not on the metro. Taxi or bus are the published options, and the taxi starting charge is the same as at the other terminals.