Dubai metro zones are the defined boundaries on the Metro Lines that are used to calculate the fare of rides in the Metro. Calculating fares by other means is a very complicated task, so the Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) has defined these zones. These make the fare calculation process very simple and easy, so even the passengers can calculate it.
Dubai city is split into seven different zones for public transportation. The Red Line and Green Line combined pass through 4 of them, i.e., Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 5, and Zone 6. The rest of the zones are for other means of public transportation, like buses and trams. The transportation fare is calculated based on the number of zones that you traveled through. So, keep in mind that if you are taking a bus after a metro ride, you need to consider paying for extra zones while calculating your travel fare.
The difference in zone number does not have any effect on the fare of the journey. For example, if you take a Metro from Dubai metro zones 1 and you finish your ride at Dubai metro zones 6, then the fare for two zones will be charged as Dubai metro zones 1 and Dubai metro zones 6 are adjacent to each other. The other means of transportation are also charged the same way. For example, if you take the Metro from zone 1 and get off at zone 2, then you take a bus to zone 3, the total fare for 3 zones will be charged.
If you are using multiple means of transportation, then you need to check in and out of each vehicle properly. If you didn’t check out of any vehicle, then the maximum fare will be charged for that journey. You must have a total maximum fare on your NOL card to use any public transportation. The Maximum fare on a Silver NOL card is 7.5 dirhams, and it may vary on other NOL cards. The picture below shows all the zones and stations in Metro Dubai.
As shown in the figure, two Metro Lines run through Dubai, and both of them meet at the Burjuman Station. These Dubai metro station zones are the busiest among all of the others. To take a train, you must go to your nearest station and take the Metro from there. A train departs every 5 to 8 minutes, so you don’t need to worry about the timings.
You can switch between two means of transportation in a single journey. To make the multi-medium journey count as a single one, you must check in on the other bus within 30 minutes of checking out of the train. If done so, the whole trip will be counted as a single trip. For handicapped individuals and children, there is no fare, and they travel without any charges using a blue card. On the other hand, senior citizens are given a discount of 50% on each journey.
The numbers and Dubai metro zone prices may vary with time, so for the latest figures and fares, you can visit the official website of the Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) Dubai. The Route 2020 line will also be added till the end of May 2020, which will also pass through other zones as well.
You can check out all of the travel zones on the RTA website, and if you know how many zones you will be travelling through, you can calculate the price of the ticket by checking out the tickets page.
There are also different ticket prices for season tickets, which depend on the number of zones that you travel through.
Dubai Metro Fares and Zones
The Dubai Metro has fixed fares based on the Tier system. It has three tiers.
| Tier | Zones |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Less than three zones |
| Tier 2 | Starts in zone 1 and ends in neighboring zone |
| Tier 3 | More than three zones |
The fares of each tier may vary with time. The disabled have no fares, and a special discount exists for seniors and students.
Dubai Metro Zones Map
