What is the Dubai Metro Gold Line?
The Dubai Metro Gold Line is planned as Dubai's fourth metro line and the largest single transport project the emirate has publicly announced so far. Dubai officially approved the project on 22 April 2026, with an investment of about AED 34 billion and a target opening date of 9 September 2032.
Officially, the Gold Line will run 42 kilometres with 18 stations, and it is described as Dubai's first fully underground metro line, running at depths of up to 40 metres. It will connect to the Green Line at Al Ghubaiba, to the Red Line at Business Bay and Jumeirah Golf Estates, and to Etihad Rail at Meydan and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The official announcement also says the line is designed to serve 1.5 million people by 2040, remove more than 40 million car journeys annually, and carry around 465,000 daily passengers beyond 2040.
Why the Gold Line Was Needed
RTA says the Gold Line is designed to reduce congestion on the existing Red Line between BurJuman and ONPASSIVE by 23%. That matters because this is one of the busiest corridors in the current Dubai Metro system.
The line also addresses a long-standing network gap across western, central, and outer suburban Dubai. Communities around Dubai Hills, Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Sports City, Arabian Ranches, and Dubailand have grown rapidly without direct metro access. The Gold Line is intended to create a parallel underground corridor through those districts while also strengthening older areas such as Al Ghubaiba and Bur Dubai.
Gold Line Route Overview
The official route summary describes the Gold Line as a comprehensive urban artery beginning at Al Ghubaiba and ending at Jumeirah Golf Estates, passing through fifteen strategic locations including Mina Rashid, City Walk, Business Bay, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Nad Al Sheba, Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, Meydan, Al Barsha South, and Jumeirah Village Circle.
In practical terms, the line can be understood as three linked corridors: historic Dubai and the inner city at the Al Ghubaiba side, the central Business Bay to Meydan and Al Quoz segment, and then the suburban corridor extending toward Dubai Hills, JVC, and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Planned Station Corridor
Dubai has confirmed an 18-station Gold Line, but not every final public station name has been published yet. The table below reflects the current planned station areas based on the announced corridor and should be treated as a working guide until RTA releases the formal station naming set.
| Code | Area / Station | Interchange | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| G01 | Al Ghubaiba | Green Line | Eastern terminus and official Green Line interchange in historic Bur Dubai. |
| G02 | Bur Dubai | — | Planned stop serving central Bur Dubai communities. |
| G03 | Al Satwa | — | Dense urban district close to Jumeirah and City Walk corridors. |
| G04 | Business Bay | Red Line | Major Red Line interchange close to Downtown and Dubai Canal. |
| G05 | Meydan | Etihad Rail (future) | Planned national rail interchange and access to Meydan developments. |
| G06 | Al Quoz | — | Creative and light-industrial district stop. |
| G07 | Dubai Hills | — | Dubai Hills Estate corridor with major residential demand. |
| G08 | Al Barsha South | — | Residential catchment near Al Barsha South and Umm Suqeim side links. |
| G09 | Jumeirah Village Circle | — | JVC residential corridor. |
| G10 | Jumeirah Village Triangle | — | Additional suburban stop proposed in the wider JVC/JVT belt. |
| G11 | Dubai Production City | — | Planned stop for Production City and nearby mixed-use development. |
| G12 | Dubai Sports City | — | Serves Sports City and adjacent residential clusters. |
| G13 | Arabian Ranches | — | Major suburban villa community without metro access today. |
| G14 | Dubailand | — | Large western growth corridor stop. |
| G15 | Global Village area | — | Planned station area near the Global Village corridor. |
| G16 | Majan | — | Growing residential district off the wider Al Ain Road side. |
| G17 | Tilal Al Ghaf | — | Outer community stop in the broader western suburban belt. |
| G18 | Jumeirah Golf Estates | Red Line and Etihad Rail (future) | Western terminus with Red Line interchange and future Etihad Rail link. |
Official station names, naming-rights sponsors, and exact stop sequencing may still change. The confirmed facts today are the 42 km fully underground route, 18 stations, and the main interchanges at Al Ghubaiba, Business Bay, Meydan, and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Interchange Connections
- Al Ghubaiba: direct interchange with the Green Line.
- Business Bay: direct interchange with the Red Line.
- Jumeirah Golf Estates: Red Line interchange and future Etihad Rail connection.
- Meydan: planned Etihad Rail interchange for future UAE national passenger rail links.
- Blue Line compatibility: there is no direct Gold/Blue interchange station, but both lines connect into the Red and Green networks for onward transfer paths.
Construction Timeline
As of 26 April 2026, the Gold Line is still in the announcement and pre-construction phase. The official project timeline says tender issuance is expected in 2026, contract award in 2027, and then construction leading to the planned 2032 opening.
Dubai officially announced the Gold Line as a 42 km, 18-station fully underground metro project.
Tender issuance is scheduled during 2026 according to the official announcement.
Contract award is expected to follow in 2027 before construction ramps up.
Construction will then begin using fully underground tunnel boring methods.
Target opening date set by Dubai, marking 23 years since Dubai Metro first launched.
What Makes the Gold Line Different
- First fully underground metro line in Dubai: the entire Gold Line runs below ground at depths of up to 40 metres.
- Largest single transport investment: the project budget is approximately AED 34 billion.
- Major congestion relief: RTA says it will cut load on the BurJuman to ONPASSIVE Red Line stretch by 23%.
- National rail integration: the route connects with Etihad Rail at Meydan and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
- Large catchment area: the line supports over 55 development projects and about 1.5 million people by 2040.
Impact on Property and Connectivity
The strongest likely effect of the Gold Line is on communities that are already established but still car-dependent. That includes districts such as Dubai Hills, JVC, Dubai Sports City, Arabian Ranches, Dubailand, Majan, and parts of inner Dubai like Al Satwa and Bur Dubai.
Historically, metro access has supported stronger pricing and demand around new stations in Dubai. For the Gold Line, the biggest story is not just value uplift but the basic shift from road-only mobility to integrated metro access for areas that currently rely mostly on cars and taxis.
Fares and Nol Cards
The Gold Line is expected to use the same zone-based fare system and Nol card framework as the rest of Dubai Metro. RTA has not yet published Gold Line fare zones, but existing Nol products should continue to work once the line opens.
For current travel planning, you can use our Fare Calculator. Once official Gold Line zones are published, we will update the calculator and this guide.
How to Stay Updated
Because the Gold Line was only announced on 22 April 2026, the biggest future milestones are still ahead: tender release, contract award, tunnelling start, and final station naming. We will keep this page current as those official updates are published.