Max Metro Station

R21 Red Line Zone 6 Elevated

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

Max station (R21) is the Dubai Frame’s station – the 150-metre golden rectangle in Zabeel Park stands a walkable stretch from the platforms, and no other metro stop comes close. Elevated over the Al Jafiliya district, fare zone 6, with one of the network’s more useful bus stations alongside. Until November 2020 the station itself was named Al Jafiliya, and plenty of directions still use it.

To the Frame and Zabeel Park

Exit toward Zabeel Park and follow the Frame – visible the whole way – roughly 15 minutes on foot to the park gate nearest the structure (ticket desks sit at its base; the sky deck’s glass floor is the payoff). Zabeel Park itself is one of the city’s biggest green spaces: barbecue zones, lakes, a weekend flea-market tradition in season, and shade that makes the walk pleasant most of the year. Go late afternoon; the Frame’s gold skin and the park both improve as the sun drops.

Al Jafiliya on foot

The station’s own district is unglamorous and useful: the bus station handles a spread of city routes, government service centres cluster nearby (including immigration-related offices that generate much of the station’s weekday footfall), and Satwa’s fabric shops and shawarma institutions begin a short walk east – one of Dubai’s best cheap-food quarters and the honest counterweight to the Frame’s ticket price.

Why “Max”?

The Landmark Group’s Max fashion brand took naming rights in the November 2020 wave – the same round that produced DMCC and Sobha Realty. Taxi drivers switch freely between “Max”, “Jafiliya” and “the Frame station”; all three land you here.

Local tips

  • Frame tickets: book online to skip the base-level queue on winter weekends; sunset slots go first.
  • Two-landmark afternoon: Museum of the Future (Emirates Towers, two stops) then the Frame from here – the city’s two boldest structures for AED 6 of train fare.
  • Ramadan evenings turn Satwa’s lanes into an iftar street-food circuit – a ten-minute walk from the gates.
  • The bus interchange covers Jumeirah-road destinations (beaches, mosque) the metro cannot reach – this is the standard transfer point for them.

To the Frame and Zabeel Park

Max is the Dubai Frame’s station – the 150-metre golden rectangle in Zabeel Park stands a walkable stretch from the platforms, visible the whole way, and no other metro stop comes close. Exit toward Zabeel Park and follow the Frame roughly 15 minutes on foot to the park gate nearest the structure; ticket desks sit at its base, and the sky deck’s glass floor is the payoff. Go late afternoon, when the Frame’s gold skin and the park both improve as the sun drops. Zabeel Park itself is one of the city’s biggest green spaces – barbecue zones, lakes, a weekend flea-market tradition in season, and shade that makes the walk pleasant most of the year.

Al Jafiliya on foot, and why “Max”

The station’s own district is unglamorous and useful: the bus station handles a spread of city routes, government service centres cluster nearby including immigration offices that generate much of the weekday footfall, and Satwa’s fabric shops and shawarma institutions begin a short walk east – one of Dubai’s best cheap-food quarters and the honest counterweight to the Frame’s ticket price. The Landmark Group’s Max fashion brand took naming rights in the November 2020 wave, the same round that produced DMCC and Sobha Realty, and taxi drivers switch freely between “Max,” “Jafiliya” and “the Frame station” – all three land you here. Ramadan evenings turn Satwa’s lanes into an iftar street-food circuit ten minutes from the gates.

Getting here and onward

Max is elevated on the Red Line, zone 6, four stops and AED 3 from Downtown, and it pairs naturally with the Museum of the Future two stops north at Emirates Towers – the city’s two boldest structures for AED 6 of train fare. The adjacent Al Jafiliya bus interchange covers Jumeirah-road destinations the metro cannot reach, including the beaches and the mosque, and is the standard transfer point for them. There is no tram or marine link; the Frame and Satwa are the walk-in draws.

Former names: Al Jafiliya (until 2020-11) → Max (current)

Old directions using these names still lead here. All renames since 2009 →

Next stations

Fares from Max

Silver Nol fares on the shortest route. Gold Class doubles these. Daily cap AED 14.
ToZonesStopsFareEst. time
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall 1 4 AED 3.00 ~11 min
Airport Terminal 3 2 8 AED 5.00 ~20 min
Union 2 3 AED 5.00 ~9 min
Mall of the Emirates 2 8 AED 5.00 ~20 min
Sobha Realty 2 12 AED 5.00 ~28 min

Calculate any journey →

Onward travel from Max

Buses

Al Jafiliya Bus Station

Feeder-bus routes for this station are being re-verified against the RTA - check the S’hail app for live departures meanwhile.

Tram, marine & rail

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

Taxi & walking

Marked taxi ranks sit at the station exits. For nearby destinations, the list below is walkable unless marked taxi.

What’s near Max station

Hours at this station

Network hours apply: first trains from 5:00 AM (8:00 AM on Sundays), last trains around midnight - 1:00 AM after Fridays. Live today-status and the full table: metro timings.

About Max station

Which metro station is closest to the Dubai Frame?

Max (R21) - the Frame stands in Zabeel Park about 15 minutes' walk from the station, visible the entire way.

What was Max station called before?

Al Jafiliya, until November 2020 when the Max fashion brand took naming rights. Drivers use both names interchangeably.

How much is the metro from Downtown to the Dubai Frame?

Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall to Max is four stops, AED 3 (both zone 6), then the 15-minute park walk.

Is Zabeel Park worth visiting besides the Frame?

Yes - one of Dubai's largest parks: lakes, barbecue areas, big lawns and seasonal weekend markets, all a few dirhams' entry.

Can I reach Jumeirah Beach from Max station?

Not by metro - use the adjacent Al Jafiliya bus station or a taxi; it is the standard transfer point for the Jumeirah coast.


Station data verified against RTA sources (editorial policy).