Max Metro Station Overview
Max is a Red Line station in Zone 6, on Sheikh Zayed Road at the Za'abeel edge. It is station R21, between ADCB on the north side and World Trade Centre on the south side.
The station serves the Za'abeel and Al Jafiliya districts, and it is the closest Metro stop to the Dubai Frame, the giant picture-frame monument in Za'abeel Park. Max opened as Al Jafiliya in 2009 and was renamed Max under a Landmark Group sponsor deal in 2021, the same agreement that renamed Rashidiya to Centrepoint.
First and last train from Max 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 | 5:04 AM daily | 12:42 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:41 AM (Thu, Fri) 12:39 AM (Sat) |
| To Expo 2020 | 5:12 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:56 AM (Sun) | 11:42 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:39 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:43 AM (Fri) |
| To Life Pharmacy | 5:09 AM (Mon to Sat) 8:02 AM (Sun) | 11:38 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:43 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:39 AM (Fri) |
Book Dubai Frame tickets
The Dubai Frame observation deck is one of the city's most-booked short visits. Pre-booking a timed slot saves the queue at the gate.
Max Station opening hours and facilities
Max 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
Max 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.
The Dubai Frame is a fifteen minute walk from the station through Za'abeel Park. Use Za'abeel Park Gate 2 on the south side of the station, cut through the park, and the Frame is signposted from the internal walkways. The walk is shaded in parts and much cooler than the direct roadside route along Sheikh Rashid Road.
The Landmark Group rename
Max opened with the Red Line on 9 September 2009 as Al Jafiliya, named after the district. In 2021 the RTA renamed the station Max as part of a Landmark Group sponsor deal that also renamed Rashidiya to Centrepoint. Max Fashion, the sponsor brand, is a Landmark Group value-fashion chain with stores across the region. The rename kept the station code R21 unchanged and the platform announcements caught up with the signage a few weeks after the change. Older printed maps and guidebooks may still show Al Jafiliya.
The Dubai Frame walk
The Dubai Frame, in Za’abeel Park, is the station’s most-searched destination. The Frame is 150 metres tall, 93 metres wide, and shaped like a giant picture frame, with a glass-floored observation deck at the top and views over old Dubai on one side and new Dubai on the other. It opened on 1 January 2018 under Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s direction and has been one of the most-visited paid attractions in the city ever since.
Max is the closest Metro stop, though the walk is about 1.4 km. Za’abeel Park Gate 2, on the south side of the station, is the correct entry; from there the internal park walkways go directly to the Frame, with signs at every junction. The route through the park is shaded in parts and much cooler than the roadside route along Sheikh Rashid Road, which is exposed and has fewer crossings. Timing-wise, an evening arrival after 5 PM catches the Frame lights against the Downtown skyline, which is the popular photograph.
Za’abeel Park and the wider district
Za’abeel Park, split into two halves by Sheikh Zayed Road, is one of the city’s largest urban parks. The station-side half has a boating lake, a small ecology centre, walking tracks and a Friday farmers’ market in the cooler months. Beyond the Frame, the park connects on foot to the Dubai Garden Glow and the Dubai Miracle Garden extension. The Al Jafiliya district north-west of the station is mostly residential, with older villas and apartment buildings.
Max is the first sponsor renaming under the 2021 Landmark Group deal, which also renamed Rashidiya to Centrepoint. Some older signs, printed maps and voice announcements may still say Al Jafiliya. The station code (R21) has stayed the same, so it is the safest reference if a map is out of date.
Fares from Max 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 | 4 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 8 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Expo 2020 | 20 | 4 | AED 7.50 |
| Airport Terminal 3 | 8 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Union | 3 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
Metro Stations Before and After Max Station
- ADCB (R20): The stop after Max on the Red Line going towards Centrepoint
- World Trade Centre (R22): The stop after Max 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 the Frame's in-app AR layers.