Life Pharmacy Metro Station

R42 Red Line Zone 1 At grade

Independent transport guide · Source: RTA (rta.ae) · Unofficial guide — for live updates use the RTA S’hail app

Life Pharmacy station (R42) is three superlatives in one quiet terminus: the end of the Red Line’s original 2009 alignment, the network’s only at-grade (ground-level) station – and the holder of its most tangled name story, having been the FIRST Jebel Ali station before “Jebel Ali” migrated up the line. Fare zone 1, deep in the free-zone south.

The name that moved house

This station opened in 2009 as Jebel Ali. In 2015 it sold its name to become UAE Exchange – and five years later the RTA gave “Jabal Ali” to a completely different station (today’s National Paints, the branch junction). Since May 2025 this one is Life Pharmacy. The result: a decade of directions in which “Jebel Ali station” meant two different places in sequence. When in doubt: the TERMINUS is Life Pharmacy; the JUNCTION is National Paints.

Ground level, uniquely

Every other station on the network flies or tunnels; this one sits on the ground – a quirk of the original alignment’s descent toward the port lands. Trainspotters and completists ride out for exactly this; the platform’s horizon of cranes and hangars is the industrial-sublime photo the rest of the network cannot offer.

Who actually uses it

JAFZA’s southern blocks and the workforce housing around them – the terminus exists to put tens of thousands of port-adjacent workers one seat from the city. Park-and-ride bays serve the drive-in commuters; shuttle loops do the last kilometres. Consumer amenities live one to three stops back at Ibn Battuta.

Local tips

Gold Class and boarding at a terminus do not guarantee a seat or luggage space. Follow the marked cabin rules and allow for crowding.
Completists’ checklist: at-grade platform ✓, zone 1 ✓, original-alignment terminus ✓ – the network’s quietest bragging rights.
Do not navigate by old maps here: anything pre-2015 labels this Jebel Ali; 2015-2025 says UAE Exchange. Same platforms throughout.
Onward south is shuttle/taxi land – the metro’s writ ends at the buffer stops.

Getting here and onward

Gold Class and boarding at a terminus do not guarantee a seat or luggage space. Follow the marked cabin rules and allow for crowding.

Next stations

Danube (1 stop · Red Line)

Fares from Life Pharmacy

Silver Nol fares on the shortest route. Gold Class doubles these. RTA does not publish an automatic daily cap.
To	Zones	Stops	Fare	Est. time
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall	3	14	AED 7.50	~30 min
Airport Terminal 3	4	26	AED 7.50	~54 min
Union	4	21	AED 7.50	~44 min
Mall of the Emirates	2	10	AED 5.00	~22 min
Sobha Realty	2	6	AED 5.00	~14 min

Times are rough estimates: two minutes per stop, six per train change and a two-minute allowance. They exclude access walks, unpredictable waits and disruption; use S’hail for a departure-specific plan. Calculate any journey →

Onward travel from Life Pharmacy

Buses

Use the RTA S’hail planner to check the bus stop, direction and departure time for your destination. A nearby bus stop does not mean every route serves this station entrance.

Tram, marine & rail

No direct tram, marine or rail connections at this station.

Taxi & walking

Check your destination’s entrance before choosing an exit. Roads, restricted premises and the heat can make a short map distance unsuitable for walking. Follow local taxi signs or ask station staff for the designated pick-up point.

Hours at this station

The normal network operating window starts at 5:00 AM (8:00 AM on Sundays). These are not departure times at this station. First and last trains depend on direction and service date; check the RTA timetable or S’hail before a late journey or airport connection. Network operating hours.

About Life Pharmacy station

What was Life Pharmacy station called before?

It opened as Jebel Ali (2009), became UAE Exchange (2015), and Life Pharmacy in May 2025. The 'Jabal Ali' name later reused up the line belongs to a different station - today's National Paints.

Is Life Pharmacy the only ground-level metro station?

Yes - every other Dubai Metro station is elevated or underground; this terminus sits at grade, a relic of the original 2009 alignment.

Which trains go to Life Pharmacy?

Red Line services signed Life Pharmacy, running through from Centrepoint via Ibn Battuta, Energy and Danube.

Which zone is Life Pharmacy station in?

Zone 1 - the outermost zone; the full ride to Deira or the airport is the AED 7.50 maximum.

What is near Life Pharmacy station?

JAFZA's southern blocks and workforce housing, park-and-ride bays, and shuttle loops - the nearest consumer amenities are three stops back at Ibn Battuta Mall.

Check the RTA for current departures and operational changes. Sources and corrections policy.