Line🔴 Red Line
Station IDR13
ZoneZone 1
Operating Hours05:00–00:00
Nol ZoneZone 1
Accessibility♿ Full Access
Status

About Terminal 3 Metro Station

Terminal 3 Metro Station (R13) is the underground Red Line station directly connected to Dubai International Airport's Emirates Terminal 3 — one of the world's busiest airline terminals. The station sits beneath the terminal building with a seamless covered walkway to both arrivals and departures, making it the fastest public transport option into the city from DXB.

An airport surcharge of AED 5.00 (Silver) / AED 10.00 (Gold) is applied automatically on all journeys that include this station — on top of the standard zone fare. Terminal 1 (R14) is one stop away, approximately 2 minutes by train. The metro is the cheapest way into the city: a Silver Nol journey to Downtown (Burj Khalifa Station) costs around AED 8.00 including the surcharge. Note: on Fridays the metro does not run until 10:00 — for early morning Friday flights, use the airport taxi rank or a ride-hail service.

Opened
September 2009
Platform Type
Underground
Platform Doors
Yes
Gold Class
Yes (Car 1)
Women & Children Car
Yes (Car 3)

Red Line — Nearby Stations

Adjacent stations on the line.

Centrepoint R11 Visit →
Emirates R12 Visit →
Airport Terminal 3 R13 ← You are here
Airport Terminal 1 R14 Visit →
GGICO R15 Visit →

Nearby Places

All places are inside Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. Duty Free and lounges are airside (after security).

🍔

Hard Rock Cafe Dubai Airport

Concourse B, Gate 25 · American cuisine · Open 24 hours · Airside

★ 4.7 Airside · T3
🛍

Dubai Duty Free

Departures Terminal 3 · Perfumes, electronics, alcohol, chocolates · Open 24 hours · Airside

★ 4.5 Airside · T3
🏨

Hotel DXB (Dubai International Hotel)

Inside Terminal 3, Concourses A, B & C · Transit hotel, book by the hour · Open 24 hours

★ 4.4 Inside T3
🛋

Plaza Premium Lounge

Concourse A, Gates A2–A3 · Pay-per-use lounge, food, showers · Open 24 hours · Airside

★ 4.8 Airside · T3

Getting There

🚇

By Metro

Red Line, Station R13. Hours: 05:00–00:00 (Mon–Thu, Sat–Sun); 10:00–01:00 (Friday).

Red Line R13
🚌

By Bus

RTA bus routes Airport Express serve this station.

Airport Express
🚕

By Taxi / Ride-Hail

RTA taxis available at the station exit. Uber and Careem also serve this area. Use the RTA app for journey planning and fare estimates.

Walking Distances from Station

Direct
Terminal 3 Arrivals & Departures
Underground walkway · Landside
Airside
Dubai Duty Free
After security · Open 24 hrs
Airside
Hard Rock Cafe · Concourse B
After security · Gate 25
Inside
Hotel DXB (Dubai International Hotel)
Transit hotel · Book by the hour
~2 min
Airport Taxi Rank
Landside · Ground floor T3

Visitor Tips

Practical advice for using this station.

💳

Use a Nol Card

Top up your Nol Card at station vending machines (cash or card accepted). Zone 1 applies here — AED 3.00 (Silver) / AED 6.00 (Gold) per single journey. A daily fare cap protects frequent travellers.

✈️

Airport Surcharge Applies

An RTA airport surcharge of AED 5.00 is added automatically when boarding or alighting at either airport metro station, on top of the standard zone fare.

🕐

Operating Hours

Metro runs 05:00–00:00 Monday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday. On Fridays the service starts late: 10:00–01:00. Plan accordingly for early Friday mornings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take the Red Line to Terminal 3 Metro Station (R13). The station is underground and connected directly to Emirates Terminal 3 via a covered, air-conditioned walkway. From Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Station), the journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Terminal 3 Metro Station runs 05:00–00:00 (midnight) Monday to Thursday and Saturday–Sunday. On Fridays, service starts at 10:00 and ends at 01:00. This is critical for travellers: if your flight departs early on a Friday morning, the metro will not be running — use an airport taxi or Careem/Uber instead.
Yes. An airport surcharge of AED 5.00 (Silver Nol) or AED 10.00 (Gold) is automatically added for all journeys that include Terminal 3 (R13) or Terminal 1 (R14). This is on top of the standard zone fare and is charged only once per journey.
Terminal 3 Metro Station (R13) on the Red Line is the nearest — and directly connected — metro station. It sits underground beneath the terminal building. The next closest is Terminal 1 Station (R14), one stop away, approximately 2 minutes by train.
Take the Red Line from Terminal 3 (R13) toward UAE Exchange and ride to BurJuman Station (R29/G12), which is a Red and Green Line interchange. The journey takes around 25–30 minutes and costs approximately AED 8.00 (Silver) including the airport surcharge.