Board a northbound Life Pharmacy service on the Red Line at Ibn Battuta and ride eighteen stops direct to Union. Since 15 April 2024 the service runs straight through National Paints without a change; check the front destination display to be sure it reads Centrepoint before you board.
18 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) | ~40 min | Cheapest, no traffic |
| Taxi | AED 75 to 110 | 28 to 41 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
Since 15 April 2024 RTA has run two direct Red Line services from Centrepoint, one to Expo 2020 and one to Life Pharmacy. Ibn Battuta sits on the Life Pharmacy branch, so a northbound Life Pharmacy service passes through here and continues straight to Union without a change. Boarding at the front of the northbound train at Ibn Battuta puts you closest to the Union exit and interchange to the Green Line. The whole trip stays inside three fare zones for AED 7.50 on a Silver Nol card.
Union is the central interchange where the Red and Green Lines cross, one block from Union Square and a short walk from the old Deira souks, the Etisalat headquarters and the northern end of the creek.
For more on the area around Union, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Union station guide.
No. Since 15 April 2024 the Red Line has run two direct services from Centrepoint, one to Expo 2020 and one to Life Pharmacy, so the Life Pharmacy branch is served by through trains rather than a shuttle. A northbound Centrepoint-bound service at Ibn Battuta runs straight through National Paints to Union without a platform change.
The trip crosses the maximum three fare zones (Ibn Battuta is Zone 2, Union is Zone 5, and the middle section runs through Zone 6). 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 40 minutes from platform to platform, including the short waits between stations. Peak morning and evening runs a few minutes slower on the elevated southern section as trains fill up.
The Life Pharmacy service, run as a Track 2 direct train between Life Pharmacy and Centrepoint since 15 April 2024. It calls at every trunk station between National Paints and Union, so no change is needed for this trip.
Yes. Ibn Battuta has lifts to and from the platform, the Red Line trains have wide doors throughout, and Union is fully step-free with lifts to both the Red and Green Line levels.
Yes. Union is the primary Red-to-Green interchange and the change happens inside the paid area. Follow the signs from the Red Line concourse down to the Green Line platforms; no second Nol tap.
No, much cheaper on the Metro. A taxi from Ibn Battuta to Union is around AED 75 to 110 and 28 to 41 minutes depending on traffic, against AED 7.50 on the Metro. The Metro saves about 90 per cent of the fare and avoids the Sheikh Zayed Road afternoon slowdown.
Weekday morning peak, when Marina and Al Furjan commuters head into the Deira and Bur Dubai side of the city, and weekday evenings on the reverse. Fridays are quieter on the morning inbound and busier from mid-afternoon.
The last northbound Life Pharmacy service through Ibn Battuta runs at about 12:03 AM on most nights (11:59 PM on Saturdays), roughly six minutes before it reaches Union. See the full first and last train table on the Ibn Battuta station page.