Dubai Metro Red Line: all 35 stations, explained

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

The Red Line is Dubai’s spine: 67.1 km from Centrepoint past the airport, down the full length of Sheikh Zayed Road, splitting at National Paints into branches for Expo 2020 and Life Pharmacy. If you ride the metro in Dubai, you will almost certainly ride this line - it carries the airport, Downtown, Mall of the Emirates, the Marina and Expo City.

Main line: Centrepoint to National Paints

The two branches from National Paints

At National Paints (R38) the line forks. Check the front destination display before boarding - trains signed Expo 2020 take the Route 2020 branch; trains signed Life Pharmacy continue to the old terminus. Since April 2024 both run as direct through-services from Centrepoint - no changing at the junction.

Why the station numbers skip: R27, R28, R30 and R75

Myth: Missing station numbers mean stations were closed or removed

Fact: R27, R28, R30 (main line) and R75 (Route 2020 branch) were reserved for future infill stations and never built. No Red Line station has ever been removed - the numbering simply left room to grow.

The gaps sit in the long inter-station stretches south of Business Bay, where 2009 planners left space for the city to densify. With the Gold Line now taking the parallel coastal corridor, whether those infill slots ever get used is an open question - but the reserved numbers explain why Business Bay (R26) jumps to ONPASSIVE (R29).

Travel times you can plan around

Know the corridor you’re riding

• Airport & Deira stretch (R11–R18, zone 5): both DXB stations, the park-and-ride at Centrepoint, and the underground section through central Deira to Union.
• Central business spine (R19–R26, zone 6): Bur Dubai, World Trade Centre, DIFC, Downtown and Business Bay - the busiest and most tourist-heavy stretch, elevated with skyline views.
• New Dubai (R29–R38, zone 2): Al Quoz arts district, Mall of the Emirates, Internet City, the Marina cluster and the tram links at Sobha Realty and DMCC.
• The branches (zones 1–3): residential Gardens/Furjan communities and Expo City one way; Ibn Battuta and the JAFZA workforce corridor the other.

A line that keeps renaming itself

Fourteen of the 35 Red Line stations have carried at least one other name - naming-rights deals fund the network, and 2025 alone renamed three (Al Garhoud, Al Fardan Exchange, National Paints). Every table above shows former names so directions from any era still work, and the full chronology lives in our complete rename history.

Using the airport stations

The Red Line is the only line that reaches Dubai International, and it does so with two stations near its eastern end. Airport Terminal 3 (R13) serves every Emirates flight; Airport Terminal 1 (R14) serves most other international carriers. Both connect directly into the terminals, both sell Nol cards at machines and counters before the gates, and both enforce the two-piece luggage limit more actively than anywhere else on the network. The catch every first-timer meets: Terminal 2 has no Red Line station - it sits on the airport’s north side, reached instead from the Green Line’s Dubai Airport Free Zone stop. City-bound from the airport, board trains signed Expo 2020 or Life Pharmacy; the other direction (Centrepoint) heads away from town.

Where the Red Line gets crowded

Volume is not evenly spread. The crush concentrates on the central business spine between BurJuman and Business Bay during weekday peaks (roughly 7–9 AM and 5:30–7:30 PM), when office workers, DIFC commuters and Downtown tourists share the same elevated stretch. Trains run every two to four minutes then, but they fill completely, and at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall you may watch a packed train or two pass before boarding. Two practical fixes: shift ten minutes off-peak, or ride Gold Class on this segment, where double the fare buys a guaranteed seat. Away from that corridor - the Deira underground, the New Dubai run past Mall of the Emirates, and both branches - the line is comfortably quiet most of the day. This is also the stretch the 2032 Gold Line is designed to relieve, running a parallel underground spine beside it.

Elevated, underground, and the one at grade

Most of the Red Line flies on viaduct with skyline views - the stretch past Downtown and Sheikh Zayed Road is a sightseeing ride in itself. The exception is the Deira core, where the line tunnels underground from City Centre Deira through BurJuman, plus two underground stops on the Route 2020 branch (Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Investment Park). One curiosity for completists: Life Pharmacy, the Life Pharmacy branch terminus, is the network’s only station built at ground level rather than elevated or underground.

Red Line: your questions answered

How many stations does the Red Line have?

35: a 25-station main trunk from Centrepoint to National Paints, plus the Route 2020 branch (6 stations to Expo 2020) and the Life Pharmacy branch (4 stations).

Which Red Line stations serve the airport?

Airport Terminal 3 (R13) and Airport Terminal 1 (R14), both with direct terminal access. For Terminal 2, use Dubai Airport Free Zone on the Green Line plus a short taxi.

Do I need to change trains for Expo 2020?

No - trains signed Expo 2020 run through from Centrepoint. Just check the destination on the display: the other service continues to Life Pharmacy instead.

Why does the Red Line skip station numbers 27, 28 and 30?

They were reserved for future infill stations that were never built. Nothing was closed or removed.

How long is the full Red Line ride?

End to end (Centrepoint to Expo 2020) is roughly 70-75 minutes. Most practical journeys - airport to Downtown or Marina - are 25 to 60 minutes.

Where does the Red Line meet the Green Line?

Union (R18/G20) and BurJuman (R19/G26). Free transfer inside the gates at both.

Where does the Red Line connect to the Dubai Tram?

Footbridges at Sobha Realty (to Dubai Marina tram stop) and DMCC (to Jumeirah Lakes Towers tram stop) - the route to JBR and the beach.

What were the old names of the renamed stations?

Highlights: Centrepoint was Al Rashidiya, Al Fardan Exchange was Al Khail (and Nakheel before that), National Paints was Jabal Ali, InsuranceMarket.ae was Sharaf DG then Mashreq. Each table above lists them all.

Is the Red Line elevated or underground?

Mostly elevated. Underground: City Centre Deira through BurJuman (4 stations), plus Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Investment Park on the Route 2020 branch. Life Pharmacy is the network's only at-grade station.

What are the Red Line operating hours?

Identical to the whole network: 5 AM to midnight most days, 1 AM close on Fridays, 8 AM start on Sundays. Full table on our timings page.

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Station data verified against RTA sources. Related: Green Line · network map · timings