Board the Red Line towards Life Pharmacy or Expo 2020 and ride sixteen stops to Mall of the Emirates.
16 stops, 0 changes at the interchange. The line colour shows which train you are on at each point.
For one or two people, the Metro wins on cost and predictability. For a family with luggage, or in a hurry, a taxi is door to door and skips the walk.
| Option | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | AED 7.5 (Silver Nol) | ~35 min | Cheapest, no traffic |
| Taxi | AED 56 to 82 | 21 to 31 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
Off a long flight with bags, the lifts at Airport Terminal 3 station are signposted from the arrivals walkway and are far easier than the travelator with a loaded trolley. Keep at least AED 7.50 on a fresh Nol card so the gate lets you through; the trip itself is AED 7.50 on a Silver card.
The station sits next to Mall of the Emirates on the upper level, with a covered air-conditioned link straight into the mall and Ski Dubai about 140 metres from the platform.
For more on the area around Mall of the Emirates, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Mall of the Emirates station guide.
Mall of the Emirates is the home of Ski Dubai, the indoor ski slope inside the mall. Day passes, lessons and penguin encounters sell out fast on winter weekends. Pre-booking saves the queue at the door.
No. The Red Line runs straight from Airport Terminal 3 (R13) south through the city centre to Mall of the Emirates (R32). One train, sixteen stops, no platform change.
The trip crosses three zones. On a Silver Nol card it is AED 7.50, on a Gold Nol card AED 15, on a Blue personal card AED 7.50, and on a single-use Red ticket AED 8.50 plus AED 2 to buy the ticket itself.
About 35 minutes from platform to platform, including the short waits between stations. The walk from the station into the mall adds another five to seven minutes.
Terminal 3 is the Emirates and Qantas terminal at Dubai International. If you are flying flydubai, Air Arabia or Wizz Air, you are at Terminal 1 instead, one stop north on the Red Line at Airport Terminal 1 (R14).
Yes, and the Metro is set up for it. Use the lifts from arrivals down to the station, and at Mall of the Emirates use the lifts again to reach the mall level. The Red Line trains have low floors and wide doors, and the link to the mall is indoors and step-free.
Yes, much cheaper. A taxi from the airport rank to Mall of the Emirates is usually AED 56 to 82 off-peak and around 21 to 31 minutes, against AED 7.50 on the Metro. The taxi is door to door and works any hour, but the Metro saves you about 85 to 90 per cent of the fare during operating hours.
Late afternoon and early evening, when day-trippers head to Mall of the Emirates and tourists return from the western end of the line. From November to March the winter tourist season adds to the peak. An off-peak start (morning into early afternoon) is more comfortable with bags.
The last southbound train from Airport Terminal 3 runs about 11:58 PM most nights, just past 1:00 AM on Friday, and around 11:58 PM on Saturday. If you land later than that, the taxi rank outside arrivals is staffed around the clock.
There are no left-luggage lockers at Airport Terminal 3 station itself. The terminal offers a paid baggage storage service in arrivals, useful if you want to ride the Metro into town before checking in for a connecting flight.