Transport links from Dubai Airport are provided by metro, buses and taxis.
| Price | Travel time | Terminals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | Deira - 4 aed Burj Khalifa - 6 aed Dubai Marina - 8,50 aed |
Deira - 10 minutes Burj Khalifa - 25 minutes Dubai Marina - 35 minutes |
1, 3 |
| Taxi | Deira - 43 aed Burj Khalifa - 60 aed Dubai Marina - 75 aed |
Deira - 15 minutes Burj Khalifa - 15 minutes Dubai Marina - 35 minutes |
1, 2, 3 |
| Buses | Deira - 4 aed | Deira - 25 minutes | 1, 2, 3 |
Taxi
Taxis run throughout Dubai strictly on a metered basis. When travelling from the airport, the boarding rate is 25 aed and then for each kilometre travelled 2,14 aed.
Rates from the airport will be roughly as follows:
- Dubai Mall - Burj Khalifa - 60 aed
- Dubai Marina - 75 aed
- Deira - 43 aed
Taxis in Dubai accept cash, credit cards and NOL cards.
Taxi stands are always right outside the arrival halls of all terminals and are very clearly marked.
Uber
The Uber mobile app is widely used in Dubai, less so by Careem. However, prices are usually slightly higher than regular taxis.
Both Uber and Careem calculate the price based on current demand, so it may be that the price is even slightly lower than taxis.
The Uber stations are marked with black banners and are usually located in parking lots or parking houses near the terminals (always about 100 to 150 meters from the terminal).
Average Uber prices are as follows:
- Dubai Mall - Burj Khalifa - 85 aed
- Dubai Marina - 110 aed
- Deira - 65 aed
Metro and buses
Convenient public transport links to terminals 1 and 3, which are served by the metro. Terminal 2 is served by buses only.
Use the rta.ae/portal transport finder to plan your journey.
Public transport tickets
When using public transport (metro and buses are the same) you will need a Nol card to pay the fare.
It is sold in 4 variants - red, silver, gold and blue. You can use either the single red one for 2 aed, or the pre-loaded silver one for 6 aed (the sale price is 25 aed, which already includes 19 aed travel credit).
You can charge the one-time Red card up to 10 times for a single ride (1 ride = maximum 3 transfers within 180 minutes) or for 5x day passes.
Prices then vary depending on the route and card type as follows:
- All-day for all zones - 20 aed, for Gold Class 40 aed + price of RED card, to which the all-day ticket can be loaded
- 1 zone - red 4 aed, silver 3 aed
- 2 zones - red 6 aed, silver 5 aed
- 3 or more zones - red 8,5 aed, silver 7,5 aed
Tickets can be bought from machines at the metro station or in shops At Your Servicein the arrival halls of all terminals.
Book your hotel in Dubai in advance
When travelling from the airport, you will be able to travel for two or three zones at most. For more information on public transport, visit rta.ae or our Dubai guide, and for a map of Dubai's zones, follow this link.
Transportation to/from Terminal 1
The best way to get to Terminal 1 is to take the Red Line metro. It operates daily from 5:30am to 1:00am except on Fridays, which is a weekend in the UAE, and runs from 8am. The metro runs at an interval of 4 minutes.
Use the metro to travel in the following directions:
- Deira - 8 minutes
- Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa - 25 minutes
- Dubai Marina - 35 minutes
Although the metro is by far the fastest and most convenient form of transport, you can also use the red public transport buses from terminals 1, you must have a ticket purchased in advance from the shop At Your Serviceas the driver does not sell tickets and there is no mobile app to buy tickets.
Bus stops are approximately 20 metres to the right of the arrivals level exit.
The following buses stop at Terminal 1:
- C01 - direction Satwa and Deira bus station
- 24 - direction "Dubai Festival City" hotel district
- 32C - direction Satwa Bus Station
- 33 - direction Ghudaiba Bus Station
Buses run every 25 minutes and from Terminal 1 they don't have much advantage over the metro.
Transportation to/from Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is not accessible by metro, but only by buses.
You have to buy an NOL card at the newsagent At Your ServiceThere are no ticket machines at Terminal 2.
Look for the Bus RTA stop which is right outside the arrival and departure hall.
- To the nearest Abu Hail green line metro station - line 43
- Direct buses to Deira - line 43
- Direct buses to Sheikh Zayed Road - line C26
Transportation to/from Terminal 3
The best way to get to Terminal 3 is to take the Red Line metro. It operates daily from 5:30am to 1:00am except on Fridays, which is a weekend in the UAE, and runs from 8am. The metro runs at an interval of 4 minutes.
Use the metro to travel in the following directions:
- Deira - 10 minutes
- Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa - 27 minutes
- Dubai Marina - 37 minutes
Although the metro is by far the fastest and most convenient form of transport, you can also use the red public transport buses from Terminal 3, but you need to buy your ticket in advance from the shop At Your Serviceas the driver does not sell tickets and there is no mobile app to buy tickets.
Bus stops are approximately 150 metres from the terminal on the departure level. You have to go out first, go through the garage building and early check-in and then turn left.
The following buses stop at Terminal 3:
- C01 - direction Satwa and Deira bus station
- 25 - direction Deira (Gold Souq bus station)
- 77 - mainly goes around the airport area
The buses run every 25 minutes and from Terminal 3 have few advantages over the metro.
Rent a car
If you want to travel around the UAE, a rental car can be a convenient mode of transport.
The vast majority of multinational car rental companies are based at all terminals, and you can rent a standard car for around 900 aed per week.
