Gold NOL Card in Dubai
The Gold NOL card costs AED 25, exactly what a Silver card costs, and arrives with AED 19 of travel credit on it. What the extra colour buys is the front cabin: every Metro and Tram fare doubles to AED 6 within one zone and AED 15 across more than two. On a bus the same card pays the ordinary Silver fare.
Gold NOL card price and what is loaded on it
A Gold card sells for AED 25 at any metro ticket office, ticket vending machine or authorised agent. The price splits into an issuance fee of AED 6 and AED 19 of stored credit, so the card opens a gate the moment you walk away with it. At the one zone Gold fare of AED 6, that opening credit covers three rides.
An anonymous Gold card holds up to AED 1,000. Register it with RTA for AED 30 and the ceiling rises to AED 5,000, which is also what lets the card hold a 30, 90 or 365 day pass rather than paying trip by trip.
Validity runs 5 years from purchase, then 2 further years in which the leftover balance still works but no top up is accepted. A Silver card carries identical numbers on price, credit, limits and validity, so the fare table below is the only real difference between the two.
| Card | Price | Credit included | Fare, 1 zone | Concessions | Balance if lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 3 | no | lost unless registered |
| Gold | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 6 | no | lost unless registered |
| Blue (Personal) | AED 70 | AED 20 | AED 3 | student, senior, Social Affairs | protected |
| Red Ticket | AED 2 | none | AED 4 | no | not applicable |
| NOL Travel card | AED 100 | AED 19 | AED 3 | no | lost unless registered |
Based on RTA Choose nol and RTA nol Fares.
What Gold Class costs on Metro and Tram
Gold doubles the standard fare on Metro and Tram. One zone is AED 6 against AED 3 on a Silver card, two adjacent zones AED 10 against AED 5, and any journey crossing more than two zones AED 15 against AED 7.50. A run from Centrepoint to Expo 2020 touches Zones 5, 6, 2 and 1, so it sits in the top tier in both directions.
The premium is charged against the card, not against the seat. RTA bills a Gold card at the Gold rate even when the Gold Class cabin is full and you end up standing in a regular carriage, which is the most common complaint riders make about it. The fare calculator prices any station pair on both cards at once.
| Journey | Silver card | Gold card | Red Ticket Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 zone | AED 3 | AED 6 | AED 8 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 5 | AED 10 | AED 12 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 7.50 | AED 15 | AED 17 |
Based on RTA nol Fares.
On a bus a Gold NOL card pays the ordinary fare
The Gold premium applies to Metro and Tram only. Tap a Gold card on a bus validator and RTA charges the Silver rate: AED 3 inside one zone, AED 5 across two and AED 7.50 beyond that. Route 110 is the exception on every card at a flat AED 2.
Mixed journeys follow the same rule. A Tram leg into a Metro leg counts as one journey when the transfer happens within 30 minutes of check out, with at most 3 transfers and 180 minutes end to end, and the Gold premium is not charged twice for the same zone. Bus fares by zone sets out the full table.
What the Gold Class cabin gives you
Gold Class is the front cabin on a Metro train and the front section on a Tram, sharing the same vehicle as the Women and Children cabin and the regular carriages. Access is decided by the card at the gate rather than by a separate ticket, so a Silver card cannot buy its way in on the platform.
RTA treats Gold Class as a reserved area, and sitting there without entitlement carries a AED 100 fine, the same amount charged for using the Women and Children cabin without entitlement. Inspectors work inside the cabin rather than at the gate, so the card you tapped with is the one that settles the argument.
Luggage is one practical reason people pay the premium. Each passenger may carry one large bag up to 81 × 58 × 30 cm plus one small bag up to 55 × 38 × 20 cm on any card, and the emptier front cabin is where that is least awkward on the run out to Airport Terminal 3.
Gold travel passes and the point they pay off
Gold passes cost exactly double the Silver equivalents. A 30 day all zones Gold pass is AED 700 against AED 350, and the one zone version is AED 280 against AED 140. At the top tier Gold fare of AED 15 a trip, the all zones pass breaks even at 47 journeys, or about 24 commuting days in the month.
An anonymous Gold card can load the 7 day pass alone, at AED 100 for one zone and AED 220 for every zone. The 30, 90 and 365 day passes need a registered or Personal card, travel outside the pass zones is billed at the normal Gold fare, and the longer passes can be renewed from five days before expiry. Pass prices and break even points compare all four durations.
| Pass length | Silver all zones | Gold all zones |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | AED 110 | AED 220 |
| 30 days | AED 350 | AED 700 |
| 90 days | AED 830 | AED 1,660 |
| 365 days | AED 2,670 | AED 5,340 |
Based on RTA nol Fares and RTA service 648 Travel Pass.
When a Gold card is the wrong buy
For a two zone hop such as Mall of the Emirates to Burj Khalifa, Gold turns AED 5 into AED 10 for a seat you are not guaranteed, because the premium comes off the card even when the cabin is full. Anyone travelling at 11:00 rather than 08:00 rarely finds the regular carriages busy enough to justify the gap.
Gold is also wrong if anyone in the household qualifies for a concession. Students aged 5 to 23 and residents from 60 pay AED 1.50 to AED 3.75 on a Blue card, a quarter of the Gold rate, and RTA issues the Personal Gold card to adults only.
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 a Gold NOL card charged double on buses?
No. The Gold premium covers Metro and Tram only, so a bus tap costs AED 3 to AED 7.50 exactly as it would on a Silver card. Route 110 stays a flat AED 2 on any card.
Can I sit in Gold Class with a Silver card?
No. Gold Class is a reserved area and RTA lists a AED 100 fine for occupying one without entitlement. Inspectors check inside the cabin, and the card you tapped at the gate decides the outcome.
How much does a Gold NOL card cost?
AED 25, the same as a Silver card. Of that, AED 19 is travel credit and AED 6 is the issuance fee, and the card lasts 5 years.
What happens if the Gold Class cabin is full?
You still pay the Gold fare. RTA charges the premium against the card at check in, so a full cabin still costs AED 6 to AED 15 for the journey. A regular carriage seat on a Gold card does not trigger a refund.
Is there a Personal version of the Gold card?
Yes. A Personal Gold card is AED 80 against AED 70 for the standard Blue card, with a special design version at AED 110. RTA issues Personal Gold cards to adults only, so no student or senior concession applies to it.
How much is a Gold monthly pass?
AED 700 for all zones, AED 460 for two zones and AED 280 for one zone. Each is double the Silver price, and an anonymous card can hold the 7 day pass only.
Does a Gold card have a different daily cap?
RTA's last published cap was AED 40 a day on Gold against AED 20 on Silver, set out in the 2014 tariff revision. That figure no longer appears on the current RTA fares page, so treat it as unconfirmed.