Al Garhoud Metro Station Overview
Al Garhoud is a Red Line station in Zone 5, on the north-east side of the city. It is station R15, one stop north of City Centre Deira and one stop south of Airport Terminal 1.
The station is the closest Metro stop to Dubai Tennis Stadium and the Aviation Club dining cluster. It also marks the point where the Red Line goes underground, with every station west from here to Union sitting below ground. The station opened as GGICO in 2009, the sponsor name of the Gulf General Investment Company, and was renamed Al Garhoud in 2021.
First and last train from Al Garhoud Station
These times come from the official RTA timetable. For the exact minute on the day you travel, the RTA S'hail app is the live source.
| Direction | First train | Last train |
|---|---|---|
| To Centrepoint | 5:18 AM daily | 12:57 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:56 AM (Thu, Fri) 12:53 AM (Sat) |
| To Expo 2020 | 5:12 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:42 AM (Sun) | 11:57 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:53 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:57 AM (Fri) |
| To Life Pharmacy | 5:10 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:48 AM (Sun) | 11:53 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:57 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:53 AM (Fri) |
Book Dubai Tennis Championships tickets
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships run each February at the Stadium next to the station. Pre-booking saves the on-site rush during the tournament fortnight.
Al Garhoud Station opening hours and facilities
Al Garhoud station keeps the standard RTA opening hours, the same right across the network:
- Monday to Thursday: 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Friday: 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Al Garhoud has the standard Dubai Metro facilities, confirmed in the official RTA passenger guide. The station is step-free, with lifts to all levels, tactile guidance paths, and dedicated wheelchair spaces on every train. Nol card machines and a ticket counter sit inside the concourse, alongside bilingual signage and information screens. Du Wi-Fi covers the network.
Every regular train carries three cabin types: Gold Class at one end, a Women and Children cabin with pink signage, and Standard cabins. Door pictograms on the platform show where each cabin stops. The station has at least one bus connection, dedicated Metro Police, CCTV throughout, and emergency call points on every platform and train.
During the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February, the trains southbound from the airport to the Stadium fill up in the late afternoon. Boarding at the north end of the platform at Al Garhoud puts you closest to the pedestrian exit and shaves a couple of minutes off the walk to the Stadium gate.
The point where the Red Line goes underground
Al Garhoud opened with the Red Line on 9 September 2009 as GGICO, sponsored by the Gulf General Investment Company. That name stayed until the RTA sold new naming rights in 2021, when the station became Al Garhoud, after the residential district it serves. It is also the point where the Red Line goes underground: from here west to Union, every station sits below ground. Heading east, the line is elevated all the way to Centrepoint. First-time riders often notice the drop into the tunnel between Al Garhoud and City Centre Deira, which is a useful navigation cue for the underground stretch through Deira to Union.
Dubai Tennis Stadium and the Aviation Club
The station is the closest public-transport stop to Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, host of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships each February. The tournament is one of the longest-running ATP and WTA events in the Middle East, running since 1993 for men and 2001 for women, and draws around 100,000 attendees over its fortnight. During the tournament, Metro is the recommended access; car parking at the Aviation Club fills before mid-morning on finals days. The wider Aviation Club, with the Irish Village and Century Village outdoor restaurant streets, is a short walk from the station and stays busy year-round for evening dining.
Al Garhoud, the older east-side district
Al Garhoud is one of the older east-side residential districts, laid out in the 1970s for airline and airport employees. The Al Garhoud Bridge over Dubai Creek, which links the district to Deira and Bur Dubai, opened in 1976 and was for decades the main east-west crossing on this side of the city. The district has a working-suburb feel, with older villas, apartment blocks and the schools and clinics that support the residential population.
The Red Line goes underground south of Al Garhoud. The view from the west-bound train drops from open desert light into the tunnel between here and City Centre Deira; nothing to see, but a useful marker for first-time riders who lose track of their stops through the underground stretch to Union.
Fares from Al Garhoud Station
Fares depend on how many zones your trip crosses, not how many stations you pass. A Silver Nol card costs AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two zones, and AED 7.50 for three or more zones, per the RTA Nol fares page. A personal Blue Nol card pays the same as Silver. Gold Class costs double: AED 6, 10 or 15 across the same bands.
Without a Nol card, the Red ticket is a separate, higher tariff of AED 4, 6 or 8.50 by zone band, and the blank ticket costs AED 2 to buy. Children aged five and under travel free, and travel is free for People of Determination.
| Destination | Stops | Zones | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 10 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 14 | 3 | AED 7.50 |
| Expo 2020 | 26 | 5 | AED 7.50 |
| Airport Terminal 3 | 2 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Union | 3 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
Metro Stations Before and After Al Garhoud Station
- Airport Terminal 1 (R14): The stop after Al Garhoud on the Red Line going towards Centrepoint
- City Centre Deira (R16): The stop after Al Garhoud on the Red Line going towards Expo 2020
Get a Dubai travel eSIM
A prepaid eSIM gives you data the moment you arrive, useful for the RTA S'hail app and stadium event apps during Tennis Championships week.