Board the Red Line towards Life Pharmacy or Expo 2020 and ride seven stops to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall.
7 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 5 (Silver Nol) | ~20 min | Cheapest, no traffic |
| Taxi | AED 39 to 57 | 15 to 22 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
Union to Burj Khalifa is one of the most-ridden seven-stop hops in the city, busy from late afternoon into the evening. For a quieter ride, board at the front of the southbound platform at Union and pick a seat on the right-hand side: the city skyline opens up as the line lifts above ground at Al Garhoud and stays elevated all the way to Burj Khalifa.
A covered, air-conditioned walkway with travelators links the station to The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, around 820 metres in all.
For more on the area around Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station guide.
The station links to The Dubai Mall by a covered walkway, but popular At The Top time slots sell out fast, especially from November to March. Worth pre-booking before you set out.
No. The Red Line runs straight from Union (R18) south through the city centre to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (R25). One train, seven stops, no platform change. If you start your journey on the Green Line at Union, the interchange to the Red Line is across the platform and needs no second Nol card tap.
The trip crosses two zones (Union is in Zone 5, Burj Khalifa in Zone 6). On a Silver Nol card it is AED 5, on a Gold Nol card AED 10, on a Blue personal card AED 5, and on a single-use Red ticket AED 6 plus AED 2 to buy the ticket itself.
About 20 minutes from platform to platform, including the short waits between stations. The covered walkway from the station to The Dubai Mall adds another 15 to 20 minutes.
Yes. Union is the busiest interchange on the network and the platforms are aligned so the change between the Green and Red Lines is across the platform on the same level. No second tap, no second fare, and signs in English and Arabic point at both line colours.
Yes. Union has lifts to and from both platforms, the Red Line trains have wide doors, and Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall has lifts to the walkway level. The walkway has travelators most of the way, so you are not pushing bags the full distance.
Late afternoon and early evening, when commuters and Downtown visitors overlap on the southbound platform. From November to March the winter tourist season piles onto the same trains. An off-peak start (morning into early afternoon) is more comfortable, especially with bags.
Yes, much cheaper on the Metro. A taxi from Union to Burj Khalifa is around AED 39 to 57 and 15 to 22 minutes depending on traffic, against AED 5 on the Metro. The taxi is door to door, but the Metro saves around 90 per cent of the fare and dodges Sheikh Zayed Road traffic at peak.
The last southbound train from Union towards Expo 2020 runs about 11:00 PM Sunday to Thursday and just past midnight on Friday. Trains towards Life Pharmacy run on a similar pattern. For arrivals after midnight at Burj Khalifa, taxis at the mall ranks run around the clock.