Emaar NOL Card
The Emaar NOL card is not a separate RTA product: the fare system knows 5 nol cards and none of them is branded Emaar. What people usually mean is a standard Silver card, which costs AED 25 with AED 19 of that returned as credit, or the AED 100 NOL Travel card RTA sells to visitors with bundled offers attached. Either way the fare to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall is identical.
What the Emaar NOL card actually is
RTA lists 5 nol products: the Silver card at AED 25, the Gold card at AED 25, the Blue Personal card at AED 70, the Red Ticket at AED 2 and the NOL Travel card at AED 100. No Emaar branded card sits on that list, and the published fare table has no Emaar rate on it either.
Any card sold under another brand still has to be one of those five underneath, because the gate charges from the same table. A branded Silver card is charged AED 3 within one zone and AED 7.50 across more than two, exactly like the plain one, and it holds the same AED 1,000 as an anonymous card.
So the practical question is not which brand is printed on the card but which of the 5 products you are buying. The comparison of all five cards sets out who each one suits.
| Card RTA sells | Price | Credit on it | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | AED 25 | AED 19 | 5 years |
| Gold | AED 25 | AED 19 | 5 years |
| Blue Personal | AED 70 | AED 20 | 5 years |
| Red Ticket | AED 2 | AED 0 | 90 days |
| NOL Travel card | AED 100 | AED 19 | 5 years |
Based on RTA Choose nol.
What it costs to reach Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall
Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall station sits in Zone 6 on the Red Line, next to Business Bay and Financial Centre. Union, Mall of the Emirates and Airport Terminal 3 all sit one zone away, so each of those trips crosses two zones and costs AED 5 on a Silver or Blue card, AED 10 in Gold Class and AED 6 on a Red Ticket.
Longer runs cross the top tier. Expo 2020 to Burj Khalifa touches Zones 1, 2 and 6, which puts it above two zones at AED 7.50 on a Silver card. Zones rather than distance decide the price, so two very different journeys can carry the same fare. The full fare table covers every card and tier.
| Journey to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall | Zones | Silver card | Gold card |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Union | 2 | AED 5 | AED 10 |
| From Mall of the Emirates | 2 | AED 5 | AED 10 |
| From Airport Terminal 3 | 2 | AED 5 | AED 10 |
| From Expo 2020 | 3 | AED 7.50 | AED 15 |
Zones read from the RTA Rail Network Map, published December 2025.
The visitor card with offers attached
The closest thing RTA sells to an attraction card is the NOL Travel card at AED 100. It holds AED 19 of credit, the same figure as a AED 25 Silver card, keeps the same AED 1,000 anonymous ceiling and lasts 5 years.
RTA describes it as a visitor card with bundled discounts but does not publish the list of offers or their value on its card and fares pages. Since the travel side is identical, the difference over a Silver card is buying whatever that bundle happens to contain on the day. The visitor card comparison works through the choice with a three day example.
Where to buy a card for a Dubai Mall day
For a single visit, a Red Ticket at AED 2 plus two fares of AED 6 is the smallest outlay. For anything more than four journeys a Silver card costs less overall, since AED 19 of the AED 25 comes back as credit and every fare is a dirham lower.
Both are sold at the ticket office and ticket machines inside Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall station and at every other metro station. A machine tops up from AED 20 and a ticket office from AED 50, so plan the first load around those minimums rather than around the fare.
The same card also works as a payment card at more than 2,000 retail outlets, capped at AED 200 per transaction. RTA does not publish which attractions are inside that network, so treat it as a transport card first.
When the Emaar card story does not hold up
Pages promising fixed discounts on Burj Khalifa tickets through a special nol card are quoting figures RTA does not publish. The card list has 5 entries, the fare table has one rate per card type, and neither mentions an attraction discount. Treat any percentage you see as a claim to check at the ticket counter rather than a reason to pay more for a card.
If the goal is simply getting to Downtown cheaply, the answer is a AED 25 Silver card and a AED 5 fare, not a AED 100 card bought on the strength of an offer list nobody can see in advance.
Keep reading
NOL Card Balance Check Online 2026: RTA Dubai
Check your NOL card balance with the 10 digit tag ID, then open the official RTA page. Minimum balance AED 7.50, every method, updated August 2026.
NOL Fare Calculator 2026: Dubai Metro, Bus, Tram
Work out any Dubai Metro, bus or tram fare by zone and card type: Silver AED 3 to 7.50, Gold double, Red Ticket, concessions. Updated August 2026.
NOL Card and Dubai Metro Questions and Answers
Straight answers on NOL balance checks, tag IDs, fares, zones, passes, refunds, lost cards, expiry and how our calculators are tested against RTA.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Emaar NOL card?
RTA's card list names 5 products: Silver, Gold, Blue Personal, the Red Ticket and the AED 100 NOL Travel card. None of them is branded Emaar, and no Emaar rate appears on the published fare table.
Does a branded NOL card charge different metro fares?
No. Every nol card is charged from the same table: AED 3 to AED 7.50 on a Silver or Blue card, double that in Gold Class, and AED 4 to AED 8.50 on a Red Ticket.
What does it cost to reach Burj Khalifa by metro?
AED 5 on a Silver card from Union, Mall of the Emirates or Airport Terminal 3, because each crosses two zones into Zone 6. From Expo 2020 the trip touches three zones and costs AED 7.50.
Which card should I buy for a day at Dubai Mall?
A Red Ticket at AED 2 plus AED 6 each way is the cheapest single visit. Past four journeys a Silver card at AED 25, with AED 19 of it spendable, works out lower.
Do NOL cards give discounts at attractions?
RTA describes the AED 100 NOL Travel card as a visitor card with bundled discounts, without publishing the offers or their value. The card holds AED 19 of credit and pays the standard AED 3 to AED 7.50 fares.
Can I pay for tickets with a NOL card?
NOL cards work as a payment card at more than 2,000 retail outlets, with a ceiling of AED 200 per transaction. RTA publishes no list of attractions inside that network, so ask at the counter before relying on it.