Union is the main interchange on the Dubai Metro, where the Red Line (station R18) meets the Green Line (station G20). It sits in Zone 5 in Deira, beside Al Ghurair Centre and a short walk from Dubai Creek. To switch between the two lines you stay inside the same station and follow the signs. You do not tap out at the gates, and you do not pay again.
Both lines share one building. The Red Line and Green Line platforms sit on separate levels, linked by lifts, escalators and stairs. A single Nol tap covers a Red to Green change as a single trip, as long as you finish within the RTA transfer window. Union is one of the busiest stations on the network, so a little planning helps, especially at peak times.
How to change between the Red and Green lines
Changing lines at Union is step-free and signposted in Arabic and English. The platforms are colour-coded, so you follow the red signs for the Red Line and the green signs for the Green Line. Because both lines run inside the same paid area, the change is quick:
- Step off your train and look for the coloured line signs, not the exit signs
- Follow the colour of the line you want, red or green, to its platform level
- Check the platform direction board for the correct terminus before you board
The fare depends on the zones your whole trip crosses, not on the line change itself. So a trip that starts on the Red Line and ends on the Green Line is charged once, by zone, on a single tap.
Union is the busiest station on the network. Switching between the Red and Green lines here needs no second Nol card tap, which catches first-timers out.
Fares from Union Station
Fares depend on how many zones you cross, 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 fares as Silver. Gold Class costs double on a Metro trip: AED 6, 10 or 15 across the same zone bands.
If you travel without a Nol card, the Red ticket is a separate, higher tariff: AED 4, 6 or 8.50 by zone band, and the blank ticket itself costs AED 2 to buy. Children aged five and under travel free, and travel is free for People of Determination. The table shows common trips from Union on a Silver Nol card.
| Destination | Stops | Zones | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| BurJuman (Green Line interchange) | 1 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Gold Souq (Green Line) | 3 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Airport Terminal 3 | 5 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Al Ghubaiba (Green Line) | 4 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 7 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 11 | 3 | AED 7.50 |
Getting to Deira and the Creek
Union is the easiest Metro stop for the old-city side of Dubai. Al Ghurair Centre, one of the city's oldest malls, sits next to the station. Dubai Creek and the abra (water taxi) crossings are a short walk or one or two stops away on the Green Line.
- Gold Souq (G22): two stops north on the Green Line, AED 3, for the gold and spice markets
- Al Ghubaiba (G24): four stops on the Green Line, AED 5, for Bur Dubai, the abra station and Al Fahidi
- Baniyas Square (G21): one stop on the Green Line, for central Deira
Facilities at the station
Union 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.
Union Station Opening Hours
Union station keeps the standard RTA opening hours, which are the same right across the network. The station is open 5:00 AM to midnight Monday to Thursday and on Saturday, 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM on Friday, and 8:00 AM to midnight on Sunday. These are the posted station hours; the first and last trains at Union itself vary a little by direction, as set out below.
First and last train
The times below 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Towards Centrepoint | 5:12 AM daily | 12:50 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:49 AM (Thu, Fri) 12:47 AM (Sat) |
| Towards Expo 2020 | 5:05 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:49 AM (Sun) | 11:50 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:47 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:51 AM (Fri) |
| Towards Life Pharmacy | 5:02 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:55 AM (Sun) | 11:46 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:51 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:47 AM (Fri) |
| Towards Creek (Green Line) | 5:00 AM daily | 12:41 AM daily |
| Towards Etisalat by e& (Green Line) | 5:05 AM daily | 12:44 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:46 AM (Thu to Sat) |
Metro Stations on either side of Union Station
- Al Rigga (R17): one stop towards Centrepoint on the Red Line
- Salah Al Din (G19): one stop towards Etisalat by e& on the Green Line
- BurJuman (R19): one stop towards Expo 2020 on the Red Line
- Baniyas Square (G21): one stop towards Creek on the Green Line
Old Dubai walking and creek tours
Union puts you a short ride from the Gold Souq, the spice markets and the Creek abras. Guided old-Dubai tours start from the Deira and Bur Dubai side, both reachable on the Green Line.