Board the Red Line towards Expo 2020 and ride sixteen stops to Expo 2020, the southern terminus of the line.
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 76 to 112 | 26 to 38 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
This is the only Metro trip in Dubai where the train terminates inside the destination, so you do not need to watch for your stop. Stay seated, get off at the end of the line, and you are at the gate. On a winter weekend, board at Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall before 10 AM to beat the crowd south and the Expo gate queue.
Expo 2020 station is the southern terminus of the Red Line and sits at the front gate of Expo City Dubai, with a covered walkway from the platform into the public plaza around Al Wasl Dome.
For more on the area around Expo 2020, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Expo 2020 station guide.
Expo City Dubai runs Al Wasl Dome shows, themed pavilions and seasonal events. Tickets and event passes sell out fast on winter weekends, so pre-booking saves the queue at the gate.
No. Through trains run from Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (R25) all the way south to Expo 2020 (R76) on the Route 2020 branch. One train, sixteen stops, no platform change. You only change at the National Paints (R38) fork if your train terminates there, which through services to Expo 2020 do not.
The trip crosses the maximum three fare zones, so the fare lands in the top Nol band. 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 platform to the Expo City gate adds another three to five minutes.
Yes, on through services. The Red Line forks at National Paints (R38), where one branch runs west to Life Pharmacy and the other south on Route 2020 to Expo 2020. Trains marked Expo 2020 on the front and side displays run the full length without a change. Trains marked Life Pharmacy are a separate shuttle that does not continue to Expo.
Yes. Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall has lifts to and from the platform, the trains have low floors and wide doors, and Expo 2020 station is fully step-free into the Expo City plaza. The trip is one of the easier long Metro rides with bags.
No. A taxi from Burj Khalifa to Expo City is usually AED 76 to 112 off-peak and around 26 to 38 minutes, against AED 7.50 on the Metro. The taxi is door to door, but the Metro saves you about 90 per cent of the fare during operating hours and does not get caught in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic.
Late afternoon and evening on event days at Expo City, and weekend mornings during the cooler season from October to April. Off-peak weekday mornings are the quietest. The southern half of the line, from National Paints onwards, is rarely full outside event days.
The Route 2020 branch closes earlier than the trunk. The last southbound service to Expo 2020 from Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall runs about 11:05 PM Sunday to Thursday and just past midnight on Friday and Saturday. The trunk train towards Centrepoint runs until about midnight every day. After the Route 2020 last service, a taxi is the only way to Expo City.
Yes. The world fair closed in March 2022 and the site was rebranded as Expo City Dubai, but the Metro station kept its original Expo 2020 name. The station gates open straight into the Expo City public realm.