The 30-minute Dubai Metro rule and how it affects you
And for those of you who know the 30-minute rule, you understand exactly how good it is.
For the uninitiated, the Roads and Public Transport Authority's 30-minute rule allows you to pay for one trip in total even when you hop on board multiple forms of public transport.
How the 30-minute rule works
Dubai's public transport map is split into seven different zones which each contains metro, tram and bus stations. The map is colour-coded and numbered to make it easier to understand when you've arrived in a different zone.
Travelling across these zones affects how much you'll be charged for your journey with your nol card. For example, if you travel within one zone you'll be charged less than for a journey between three zones.
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And, to allow you to complete as much of your journey as possible with public transport, the RTA allows you to swipe your nol card onto a different mode of transport within 30 minutes of checking out of a metro station at no extra charge.
So, if your metro journey only takes you so far, then you can use the same card you started your journey with to take a bus or tram within 30 minutes of leaving Dubai Metro, and it will count as the same trip. The RTA rules specify that the maximum number of transfers allowed within this time is three.
Your final fare will depend on the number of zones you pass through in total and on what type of nol card you hold.
Regardless of the number of zones you pass through, the maximum journey duration is 180 minutes. Travelling for longer? You'll be charged again.
What you pay varies depending on what type of nol card you have
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The fare you pay for travelling on Dubai public transport depends on what type of card you hold and the number of zones you travel through.
Fares with a single one-off red nol card will end up ever-so-slightly pricier than those with a personal, silver or gold card.
A regular red card is priced at Dhs4 when travelling within one zone or Dhs8 if you're using the gold cabin on the Dubai Metro. Travel between two adjacent zones is Dhs6 for regular cabins and Dhs12 in gold class. And if you move between more than two zones it's Dhs8.50 for a regular journey or Dhs17 for a gold journey.
Silver and personal cards are priced at Dhs3 within one zone, Dhs5 between two adjacent zones and Dhs7.5 between more than two zones.
The gold card allows travel in gold class at a reduced rate of Dhs6 within one zone, Dhs10 between two adjacent zones and Dhs15 for more than two zones.
Kids under five travel for free regardless of ticket while the personal card offers a 50 percent discount on all fares for students, social affairs and senior Emiratis and citizens. People of determination also travel for free with the personal card.
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