Al Ghubaiba Metro Station Overview
Al Ghubaiba is a Green Line station in Zone 6, on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek. It is station G24, between Al Ras and Sharaf DG, and it sits next to the Al Ghubaiba bus and marine stations.
This is the closest Metro stop to the Al Ghubaiba Abra Station, where a traditional wooden abra crosses Dubai Creek to Deira for AED 1. The crossing takes under five minutes and is one of the cheapest, fastest ways to reach the gold and spice souks on the other side. The Al Shindagha Museum, the heritage district that traces the city's pearling roots, is a short walk from the station exit.
First and last train from Al Ghubaiba 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 Creek (Green Line) | 5:07 AM daily | 12:48 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:49 AM (Thu to Sat) |
| To Etisalat by e& (Green Line) | 5:07 AM daily | 12:36 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:38 AM (Thu to Sat) |
Book a Dubai Creek heritage walk
Al Ghubaiba is the right stop for a guided tour of old Dubai. Walks usually take in Al Fahidi, the textile souk, the Al Shindagha Museum and an abra ride.
Al Ghubaiba Station opening hours and facilities
Al Ghubaiba 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 Ghubaiba 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.
For the abra to Deira, follow signs from the station exit to the Al Ghubaiba Marine Station rather than the bus station next door. The wooden abra costs AED 1, paid in cash to the boat operator. There is no schedule; abras leave once they are full, every few minutes throughout the day.
The abra to Deira
The most distinctive thing about Al Ghubaiba is the abra. The Al Ghubaiba Marine Station sits next to the Metro station, with covered access from the exit. From there, a traditional wooden abra crosses Dubai Creek to the Deira Old Souq side for AED 1, paid in cash to the boat operator. The crossing takes under five minutes.
The abra is the cheapest way to cross the Creek and one of the most direct routes from the Bur Dubai side to the gold and spice souks in Deira. There is no timetable: abras leave when full, which usually means every few minutes through the day. The boats are open-sided and not air-conditioned, but the crossing is short enough that even in summer it is bearable. The Metro alternative is the Green Line round to Baniyas Square (G21) and a short walk to the souks, which is air-conditioned but takes longer and is a few zones higher in fare.
The Al Shindagha heritage district
A few minutes’ walk from the station is the Al Shindagha Museum, the heritage quarter on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek that traces the city’s pearling, fishing and ruling-family roots. The museum is a cluster of restored coral and gypsum buildings, some of which were the homes of past Dubai rulers, with permanent and rotating exhibits across them.
The wider Bur Dubai old town extends west from the station into Al Fahidi, the historic district with the Dubai Museum at its centre. Heading the other way, the textile souk runs back towards the Creek and links to the abra station on foot. The whole loop, including the abra to Deira and back across the Bur Dubai side, takes about half a day at a comfortable pace.
Buses and onwards travel
Al Ghubaiba is also a major RTA bus interchange. The bus station next to the Metro runs services across Bur Dubai, into Karama and Satwa, and intercity routes to Sharjah and beyond. Most RTA buses take a Nol card; the intercity services to other emirates use it too. For travellers heading to Abu Dhabi or Ajman from the old-Dubai side of the city, this is often a faster start than crossing back to a busier interchange.
If you are doing old-Dubai on a hot day, plan the order: museums (cool indoors) at midday, abra to Deira and the souks in the late afternoon when shop awnings start to give shade. Al Ghubaiba puts you within ten minutes of all three on foot.
Fares from Al Ghubaiba 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 | 8 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 12 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Expo 2020 | 24 | 4 | AED 7.50 |
| Airport Terminal 3 | 8 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Union | 4 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
Metro Stations Before and After Al Ghubaiba Station
- Al Ras (G23): The stop after Al Ghubaiba on the Green Line going towards Etisalat by e&
- Sharaf DG (G25): The stop after Al Ghubaiba on the Green Line going towards Creek
Get a Dubai travel eSIM
A prepaid eSIM is useful for the old-city maze: the lanes around the souks and Al Fahidi do not always follow obvious patterns, and a live map saves time.