Believe it or not, this date is etched in my mind – a. because it’s one of those fancy calendar dates, b. it also happens to be my grandma’s birthday. So today, both my grandmother and the Dubai Metro are turning sweet 16. One teenager has mastered the art of writing poetry faster than most of us can draft a grocery list, and the other teenager has mastered the art of getting us across the city before we decide where exactly to get down. Anyway, today we bring to you 16 facts you probably didn’t know about (no, not my grandma)…the Dubai Metro. Alright, let’s gooo – just remember to grab your NOL card for the ride!
Also read: Dubai’s Red Metro Line Gets New Route – All You Need To Know!
1. Red and Green? No, We Have An Almost Rainbow In The Making!
Who said the metro is stopping at Red and Green? Or the most anticipated line of recent times, Blue. There’s Purple, Gold and even Pink in the works. Basically, by 2030, Dubai will have a rainbow so complete Skittles may turn green with envy.
2. The Green Line’s “What Could Have Been” Dream
Originally, it was supposed to go all the way to Ras Al Khor, International City, Silicon Oasis, and Academic City. Students of my generation (90s kids, where are y’all?) could’ve had a stress-free commute, no?
3. Dubai Metro’s Art Gallery Plan
Back around 2014, RTA declared that some stations would soon become mini-galleries:
- Burjuman Metro Stations – Music & Art gallery
- Emirates Towers – Islamic decorations & manuscripts
- Financial Centre- Islamic numismatics (coins) gallery
- Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall – e-library
- Business Bay – Photo gallery
While this didn’t exactly materialize yet, I’m pinning all my hopes on 2026.
4. Dubai Metro Ride Began With A Dramatic Number Game
On 09.09.09, Dubai decided to go full filmy to inaugurate the Dubai metro. At exactly the ninth second of the ninth minute at 9pm, Sheikh Mohammed tapped the very first Nol card, becoming the Metro’s inaugural passenger on the ride.
5. DIFC Was The First Stop
On the very first ride from Mall of The Emirates to Rashidiya, the metro’s first stop was at DIFC. And DIFC, indeed, took the cake when Sheikh Mohammed unveiled a commemorative coin there. Totally beats cutting a ribbon, right?
6. Meet SelTrac, Dubai Metro’s Invisible Driver
Almost all of us know that Dubai metro is driverless. But did you know that the fully automated driverless system is powered by SelTrac IS? And by any chance, if you’re wondering what it is, it’s basically a CBTC-based signalling and train control system by Thales, enabling 90-second headways and speeds up to 90 km/h.
7. One For The Guinness Books
This is something that will make every Dubai resident swell with pride. Dubai Metro’s Red Line found a spot in the Guinness Book Of World Records by setting a world record in May 2011 for being the longest driverless metro line (52.1 km). And guess what happened in the following year? It went on to earn the record for the longest automated driverless network (~75 km across Red & Green Lines).
8. The Dubai Metro COVID Shuffle
If you were in Dubai during 2020, you’d definitely remember this. They didn’t literally tell you to leave 30 mins early, but in March 2020, strict social-distancing rules capped how many people could ride, prompting many commuters to shift schedules just to make the train on time.
9. Women’s Compartment Came Later
At first, there were only common compartments. Then in 2013, there came a move to introduce half a compartment for women and children. Then came a whole dedicated compartment, followed by another in the last decade.
10. Ahmad Haffar, The Voice Of Dubai Metro
Ever been told to “mind the gap” on the Metro? Or caught yourself saying “Doors closing” while going about your daily business.That’s not déjà vu; that’s Ahmad Haffar living rent-free in your head. And he’s the voice behind the Dubai Metro announcements.
11. Gold Class Oopsies
Before 2015, people with silver Nol cards wandered into Gold Class, blissfully unaware. Then came the AED 200 fine, and suddenly ignorance was no longer bliss, it was expensive.
12. NOL Card Goes Everywhere
By 2017, your Nol card wasn’t just for the Metro. It worked for petrol, parking, even park entry. Basically, your card became the Swiss Army knife of Dubai life.
13. Sanitisation Squads
During the pandemic, cleaning crews worked tirelessly, turning the Metro into the only place cleaner than the cleanest kitchen you’ve seen.
14. 11.11.14: the subscription revolution
Starting 11 November 2014, RTA rolled out daily and monthly NOL subscriptions. Or in other words, you could commute on automatic recharge rather than buying tickets every time.
15. Minimum Top-up Just Grew Up
In 2025, the minimum NOL recharge became AED 20. Like teenagers, the Metro now insists you spend more pocket money.
16. Dubai Metro = Summer A/C Goals
That sweet 24°C chill in the carriages is Dubai’s version of central heating. The Metro has basically been gaslighting us into believing desert summers are manageable.
So, while Dubai Metro wraps up it’s 16th birthday celebration, I’m wrapping up my piece with the smugness that I’ve thrown 16 little nuggets of trivia your way. Some useful, some quirky, and some that might just win you brownie points the next time you’re in a small talk with someone about the Dubai Metro.
