Dubai Metro Green Line: all 20 stations, explained

Last verified July 2026 · Source: RTA (rta.ae) · Unofficial guide — for live updates use the RTA S’hail app

The Green Line is old Dubai’s metro: 22.5 km looping from e& in Al Qusais through Deira’s souq district, under Dubai Creek, and along the Bur Dubai side to Creek. It is the line for the Gold Souq, the abras, Al Fahidi’s heritage lanes, and - via its two Red Line interchanges - everything else.

All 20 stations in order

The Sharaf DG confusion, settled

Myth: Sharaf DG station is on the Red Line near Mall of the Emirates

Fact: Today's Sharaf DG station is on the GREEN Line (G25, formerly Al Fahidi) in Bur Dubai. The Red Line station that used to be called Sharaf DG was renamed Mashreq in 2020 and is now InsuranceMarket.ae (R33).

This single rename generates more wrong directions than anything else on the network. From 2010 to 2020, "Sharaf DG" meant the Al Barsha station on the Red Line; since November 2020 it means the old Al Fahidi station on the Green Line, 20 km away next to the Dubai Museum. Any guide, blog post or saved map from before 2020 will send you to the wrong end of the city. If someone says "meet at Sharaf DG," ask which line they mean - and if they say Red, they mean InsuranceMarket.ae.

The underground creek crossing

Eight consecutive stations - Salah Al Din (G19) through BurJuman (G26) - run underground, tunnelling beneath the densest, oldest quarters of the city and under Dubai Creek itself between Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba. That crossing is also the fare boundary: everything Deira-side is zone 5, everything Bur Dubai-side is zone 6 - which is why a one-stop hop across the creek costs a 2-zone fare while ten stops within Deira cost one. (The romantic alternative: the AED 1 abra from the Old Souq dock by Al Ras.)

What the Green Line is actually for

• The souq circuit: Gold Souq (G22) for the world’s largest gold market, Al Ras (G23) for the Spice and Perfume souqs, Sharaf DG (G25) for the Textile Souq, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and Dubai Museum.
• The transport super-hub: Al Ghubaiba (G24) stacks metro, the main intercity bus station (E100 to Abu Dhabi), water bus and abras in one place - and becomes the Gold Line terminus in 2032.
• Culture row: Dubai Healthcare City (G28) for Wafi and Creek Park, Al Jadaf (G29) for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library and Jameel Arts Centre.
• Sharjah commuters: e& (G11) pairs with the Etisalat Bus Station and a big park-and-ride - the standard Sharjah-to-Dubai transfer point.

Two future upgrades already confirmed

The quiet ends of the Green Line are about to matter: Creek (G30) becomes a Blue Line interchange in 2029, connecting old Dubai directly to Festival City, Creek Harbour and International City; and Al Ghubaiba (G24) anchors the Gold Line in 2032. A line that today exists mostly for heritage Dubai ends the decade as a junction between three lines.

Nine renamed? Just two

Unlike the Red Line’s fourteen renames, the Green Line has had only two: e& was Etisalat until February 2023 (rebranded with the telecom itself), and Gold Souq was Palm Deira until 2020 - renamed when the Palm Deira island project became Dubai Islands and the station’s real anchor, the gold market, took over. Plus the Sharaf DG name arriving from the Red Line, covered above. Full chronology: every rename since 2009.

Green Line travel times

The Green Line is short - the full run is under half an hour - so nothing on it is far. These estimates combine train time with typical waits (they are practical figures, not RTA-official):

Riding the Green Line: what to expect

The line splits into three moods, and knowing which you are in helps you plan. The Qusais stretch (e& to Salah Al Din, G11–G19) runs elevated through workaday north-eastern Dubai - apartment districts, the police headquarters, the hospital band - and carries the heaviest commuter loads, especially the Sharjah-bound tide feeding in at e& each morning and out each evening. Board here off-peak and you will always find a seat; at 8 AM you may let a full train pass.

The underground core (Salah Al Din to BurJuman, G19–G26) is the line at its most useful and its coolest - literally. Eight stations tunnel beneath the oldest, densest quarters of the city, including the crossing under Dubai Creek itself. In July that air-conditioned stretch is a mercy; year-round it is where the souqs, the abras and both Red Line interchanges live. This is the segment tourists actually ride.

The Bur Dubai tail (Oud Metha to Creek, G27–G30) surfaces again and runs quiet - institutions, hospitals, the new cultural district around the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, and a terminus at Creek that is sleepy today but becomes a Blue Line junction in 2029. Seats are guaranteed; the views open up as the line climbs back into daylight along the Jaddaf waterfront.

The perfect old-Dubai day, by Green Line

No other line packs this much heritage into so few stops, and the whole circuit costs AED 3 in metro fares plus a dirham or two on the water. A proven itinerary: start at Gold Souq (G22) mid-morning for the arcade before the crowds; walk or ride one stop to Al Ras (G23) for the Spice and Perfume souqs; take the AED 1 abra across the creek from the Old Souq dock to Bur Dubai; wander the Textile Souq up to Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Sharaf DG, G25) for the wind-tower lanes, galleries and the Dubai Museum; finish along Al Seef’s restored waterfront as the sun drops. Every leg is walkable or one stop apart, and the line’s late close - midnight, 1 AM after Fridays - means dinner in Bur Dubai and a train home is never a problem.

Interchanges and getting across town

The Green Line only touches the Red Line twice, and choosing the right transfer saves real time. Change at Union (G20) when you are heading toward the airport, Deira’s hotel belt or eastern Red Line stations. Change at BurJuman (G26) for everything on the southern Red Line - Downtown, Business Bay, Mall of the Emirates, the Marina - because doing so avoids doubling back through Union. For Abu Dhabi, ride to Al Ghubaiba (G24) and step across to the intercity bus station for the E100 coach; for Sharjah, ride the other way to e& (G11) and its bus bays. Both are Nol-paid, and both beat sitting in border-road traffic.

Green Line: your questions answered

How many stations does the Green Line have?

20, from e& (Al Qusais) to Creek (Al Jaddaf), numbered G11 to G30. Eight of them are underground.

Are Green Line timings different from the Red Line?

No - identical hours: 5 AM to midnight most days, 1 AM close after Friday, 8 AM start on Sundays. The "Green starts at 5:30" claim is a myth.

Which Green Line station is for the Gold Souq?

Gold Souq station (G22, formerly Palm Deira) - a short signed walk to the market. Al Ras (G23) is closer to the Spice Souq end.

Which station is for Al Fahidi and the Dubai Museum?

Sharaf DG (G25) - the station formerly named Al Fahidi. The historical district and Textile Souq are minutes away on foot.

Does the Green Line go under Dubai Creek?

Yes - between Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba. The crossing is also the zone 5/6 fare boundary.

Where do I change to the Red Line?

Union (G20) or BurJuman (G26). Rule of thumb: Union for the airport/Deira direction, BurJuman for Downtown, MOE and the Marina.

Does the Green Line serve the airport?

Not directly - but Dubai Airport Free Zone (G13) is the closest station to Terminal 2 (about 15 minutes on foot or a short taxi). For T1 and T3, change to the Red Line.

How do I get to Abu Dhabi from the Green Line?

Al Ghubaiba (G24) is the intercity hub: the E100 express bus to Abu Dhabi leaves from the adjacent bus station.

What was e& station called before?

Etisalat, until February 2023 - it renamed when the telecom rebranded to e&. Older maps and directions still say Etisalat; same station.

Is the Green Line worth riding as a visitor?

It is the best sightseeing line in Dubai: Gold Souq, Spice Souq, the creek, Al Fahidi and Al Seef all sit on it within a few stops. Pair it with an abra crossing for the classic old-Dubai afternoon.

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Station data verified against RTA sources. Related: Red Line · network map · fares