The Dubai Metro Red Line has 35 stations. It runs from Centrepoint in Al Rashidiya, past both airport terminals and down Sheikh Zayed Road, then splits after National Paints: one branch goes to Expo 2020, the other to Life Pharmacy.
You can change to the Green Line at Union or BurJuman, and to the tram at Sobha Realty or DMCC. Several stations carry brand names, and one, Onpassive, is becoming Garmin between September and November 2026.
Quick answer: 35 Red Line stations. Main ends: Centrepoint (east) and Expo 2020 (south-west). Branch end: Life Pharmacy. Green Line interchanges: Union and BurJuman. Tram interchanges: Sobha Realty and DMCC.
Red Line at a glance
Item | Detail |
Stations | 35 |
Ends | Centrepoint, Expo 2020, Life Pharmacy |
Opened | 9 September 2009; Route 2020 added in 2021 |
Green Line interchanges | Union (R18), BurJuman (R19) |
Tram interchanges | Sobha Realty (R36), DMCC (R37) |
Branch junction | National Paints (R38) |
Hours | 5 am to midnight; Friday to 1 am; Sunday from 8 am |
Hours come from the RTA timetable. For holiday and Ramadan changes, see our Dubai Metro timings guide.
How the Red Line is laid out
Think of the line as a “Y” lying on its side.
The long stem runs from Centrepoint in the east, through Deira and Bur Dubai, then down Sheikh Zayed Road to the Marina. At National Paints, near Jebel Ali, it forks.
The main fork, called Route 2020, heads inland through Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan and Jumeirah Golf Estates to Expo 2020. The shorter fork keeps going along Sheikh Zayed Road past Ibn Battuta to Life Pharmacy.
Since April 2024, trains from Centrepoint run directly to both ends, so you no longer change at the junction. Read the destination on the front of the train and on the platform screen.
All Dubai Metro Red Line stations in order
Codes come from RTA’s numbering. The list runs east to west.
Centrepoint to National Paints (shared section)
Code | Station | Formerly | Notes |
R11 | Centrepoint | Rashidiya | End station; free park and ride; bus station |
R12 | Emirates | Emirates headquarters | |
R13 | Airport Terminal 3 | DXB Terminal 3 | |
R14 | Airport Terminal 1 | DXB Terminal 1 | |
R15 | Al Garhoud | GGICO | |
R16 | City Centre Deira | Deira City Centre | Underground |
R17 | Al Rigga | Underground | |
R18 | Union | Underground; Green Line interchange | |
R19 | BurJuman | Khalid Bin Al Waleed | Underground; Green Line interchange |
R20 | ADCB | Al Karama | |
R21 | Max | Al Jafiliya | |
R22 | World Trade Centre | Dubai World Trade Centre | |
R23 | Emirates Towers | Museum of the Future | |
R24 | Financial Centre | DIFC | |
R25 | Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall | Covered walkway to Dubai Mall | |
R26 | Business Bay | ||
R29 | Garmin (Onpassive until late 2026) | Noor Bank, Al Safa | Name change rolling out Sept to Nov 2026 |
R31 | Equiti | First Abu Dhabi Bank, Umm Al Sheif | |
R32 | Mall of the Emirates | Mall link; bus station | |
R33 | Insurance Market | Sharaf DG, Mashreq | |
R34 | Dubai Internet City | ||
R35 | Al Fardan Exchange | Nakheel, Al Khail | Turn-back point for some peak trains |
R36 | Sobha Realty | Dubai Marina, DAMAC Properties | Tram interchange (Dubai Marina tram stop) |
R37 | DMCC | Jumeirah Lakes Towers | Tram interchange (JLT tram stop) |
R38 | National Paints | Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Jabal Ali | Branch junction; free park and ride |
Route 2020: National Paints to Expo 2020
Code | Station | Notes |
R70 | The Gardens | |
R71 | Discovery Gardens | |
R72 | Al Furjan | |
R73 | Jumeirah Golf Estates | Underground; walkway to Etihad Rail Al Yalayis station |
R74 | Dubai Investment Park | Underground |
R76 | Expo 2020 | End station; Expo City Dubai |
Branch: National Paints to Life Pharmacy
Code | Station | Formerly | Notes |
R39 | Ibn Battuta | Ibn Battuta Mall; bus station | |
R40 | Energy | DUBAL | |
R41 | Danube | Jebel Ali Industrial | |
R42 | Life Pharmacy | Jebel Ali, UAE Exchange | End station |
Codes R27, R28, R30 and R75 are not in use, which is why the numbers skip. Station data is from RTA’s timetable page and its naming-rights announcements, cross-checked with the Khaleej Times list of renamed stations.
Red Line interchanges
Union and BurJuman (Green Line). Both are underground. You change without tapping out, inside the paid area. Union is the larger of the two and handles more transfers. If you are heading to Al Ghubaiba or the Gold Souk, BurJuman is usually the shorter walk between platforms. Our Green Line stations guide lists where each line goes from there.
Sobha Realty and DMCC (Tram). Here you do leave the metro station. A footbridge connects each one to a tram stop: Sobha Realty to the Dubai Marina stop, and DMCC to the JLT stop. Tap out of the metro and tap in at the tram doors; your journey still counts as one fare if you transfer in time. The Dubai Tram guide covers the loop around the Marina and JBR.
Jumeirah Golf Estates (Etihad Rail). A covered walkway links the metro to the Etihad Rail Dubai station at Al Yalayis. Allow extra time with luggage.
Sobha Realty, still widely called “Dubai Marina station”, is one of two tram interchanges.
Which Red Line station for popular places?
Going to | Get off at | Tip |
Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa | Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall | The walkway takes around 10 to 15 minutes |
Museum of the Future | Emirates Towers | Short walk across the bridge |
Dubai World Trade Centre | World Trade Centre | Very busy on expo days |
Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai | Mall of the Emirates | Direct link into the mall |
Dubai Marina, JBR | Sobha Realty or DMCC | Change to the tram for JBR |
Palm Jumeirah | Sobha Realty, then tram to Palm Jumeirah stop | Palm Monorail starts there |
DXB airport | Airport Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 | Terminal 2 is closer to the Green Line |
Expo City Dubai | Expo 2020 | End of Route 2020 |
Ibn Battuta Mall | Ibn Battuta | Life Pharmacy branch only |
The three Red Line routes
Not every Red Line train goes to the same place. Since 2025, the line runs three direct services:
- Centrepoint to Expo 2020
- Centrepoint to Life Pharmacy
- Centrepoint to Al Fardan Exchange, at peak times only
The third service was announced by RTA in September 2025 to add capacity in the busiest stretch. If you board one of these trains heading for the Marina, you will be asked to leave at Al Fardan Exchange. Just wait on the same platform for the next train.
Our view: when you are going beyond National Paints, always check the destination before you board. Taking an Expo 2020 train when you wanted Ibn Battuta is the most common Red Line mistake, and it costs you 20 minutes or more to fix.
Renamed stations: why old names still confuse people
Dubai sells naming rights for metro stations, usually on 10-year deals. That is why one stop can have had three names in 15 years.
The ones that trip people up most:
- Sobha Realty is still called “Dubai Marina station” by many residents and some map apps.
- DMCC was Jumeirah Lakes Towers, and the tram stop next to it is still called JLT.
- National Paints was Jabal Ali, and before that Nakheel Harbour & Tower.
- Life Pharmacy was UAE Exchange until May 2025.
- Garmin replaces Onpassive. RTA said signs, apps and on-board announcements would switch progressively between September and the end of November 2026, so you may see both names for a while.
If a taxi driver or a friend gives you an old name, match it using the “Formerly” column above.
Getting around with the Red Line: practical tips
Fares. You pay by zone, not by station. A short hop costs AED 3 on a Silver card, while a long cross-city ride is AED 7.50. Our Dubai Metro and bus fares guide has the full table.
Free parking. Centrepoint and National Paints both have free park-and-ride car parks for metro users. See free metro parking for the time limits.
Feeder buses. Centrepoint, Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta all have bus stations next to the metro, so you can continue to areas the line does not reach. Our guides to the Ibn Battuta bus station and the Mall of the Emirates bus station list the routes from each.
Cabins. The front of each train has the Gold Class cabin and the women and children section. Check the floor markings before you queue. The Gold Class and women’s cabin guide explains who can use them.
What not to do. Don’t eat or drink once you pass the gates, and don’t sit in a cabin you are not entitled to. Both carry AED 100 fines under the Dubai Metro rules.
What’s coming to the Red Line
The Dubai Metro Blue Line, due on 9 September 2029, will meet the Red Line at Centrepoint. That will give Red Line riders a direct link towards Mirdif, Al Warqa and International City.
RTA has also signed an agreement to expand Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, one of the line’s busiest. Timelines for that work may change, so check RTA updates before relying on any date.
Frequently asked questions
How many stations are on the Dubai Metro Red Line?
The Red Line has 35 stations. That covers the shared section from Centrepoint to National Paints, six stations on Route 2020 to Expo 2020, and four on the branch to Life Pharmacy. Station codes skip a few numbers, so the highest code (R76) does not match the station count.
Which Red Line stations connect to the Green Line?
Union (R18) and BurJuman (R19) are the two interchanges. Both are underground, and you can change between lines without leaving the paid area. Union tends to be busier, while BurJuman is handy for Bur Dubai, Al Ghubaiba and the Gold Souk direction on the Green Line.
Does the Red Line go to the airport?
Yes. Airport Terminal 1 (R14) and Airport Terminal 3 (R13) are on the Red Line, a few stops from Centrepoint. Terminal 2 is not on the Red Line; the nearest metro stop for it is Dubai Airport Free Zone on the Green Line, followed by a short taxi or bus ride.
What is the last station on the Red Line?
There are three end stations. Centrepoint is the eastern end. In the west, trains end at either Expo 2020 or Life Pharmacy, depending on the branch. At peak times, some trains also stop short at Al Fardan Exchange, so read the destination screen on the platform before you board the train.
Is Dubai Marina metro station now Sobha Realty?
Yes. The station people still call Dubai Marina has been Sobha Realty (R36) since August 2021. It connects by footbridge to the Dubai Marina tram stop. The next station, DMCC, also links to the tram, at the JLT stop. Some map apps still show the old name, so check the station code R36.
Using the Dubai Metro Red Line stations list on your trip
Save this list of Dubai Metro Red Line stations, or the RTA app’s map, before you travel, and keep two habits: check which of the three routes your train is running, and match old station names to new ones. For hours on holidays and in Ramadan, go back to our Dubai Metro timings hub, or see the bigger picture in the Dubai public transport guide. More guides are on the Live In Gulf homepage.
Disclaimer: station names and codes are taken from RTA pages and naming-rights announcements checked in October 2026. Names change under sponsorship deals, so confirm in the RTA Dubai or S’hail app before you travel.
