Red NOL Ticket in Dubai
The Red NOL Ticket costs AED 2 and carries no credit of its own, so you buy the paper ticket and load the journeys onto it separately. It takes up to 10 single trips or 5 day passes, stays valid 90 days, and charges AED 4 to AED 8.50 a ride.
Red NOL Ticket price and what it holds
The ticket itself is AED 2, sold at ticket machines and ticket offices in metro and bus stations. Unlike the AED 25 Silver card it arrives with AED 0 on it, so the machine asks you to add either a set number of trips or a day pass before the ticket does anything at a gate.
One ticket holds up to 10 single journeys or up to 5 day passes, and it stays valid for 90 days from purchase. Once either limit is reached the paper card is finished and the next one costs another AED 2.
There is no registration, no balance protection and no refund on a Red Ticket. Lose it with four trips loaded and those four trips are gone, which is the argument for a Silver card the moment a stay runs past a few days.
What each ride costs on a Red NOL Ticket
A Red Ticket pays exactly one dirham more per journey than a plastic card in every tier: AED 4 inside one zone against AED 3, AED 6 across two adjacent zones against AED 5, and AED 8.50 beyond that against AED 7.50.
Gold Class on a Red Ticket is a much steeper product at AED 8 to AED 17, double the standard Red fare. Zones rather than distance set the price, so Mall of the Emirates to Ibn Battuta costs the same AED 4 as one stop from Union to Al Rigga. The full fare table covers every card side by side.
| Journey | Red Ticket | Red Ticket Gold | Silver card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 zone | AED 4 | AED 8 | AED 3 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 6 | AED 12 | AED 5 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 8.50 | AED 17 | AED 7.50 |
Based on RTA nol Fares.
Red NOL Ticket day passes
A day pass loaded onto a Red Ticket is AED 20 for every zone, or AED 6, AED 8 and AED 10.50 for versions limited to one zone, two zones or more than two. The Gold Class equivalents run AED 40 for all zones and AED 10 to AED 19 for the zone limited ones.
The arithmetic decides it. Three long journeys as singles cost more than the AED 20 all zones pass at AED 8.50 each, so a sightseeing day that runs Deira to Expo 2020 and back belongs on the pass. Two short rides at AED 4 already cost more than the AED 6 one zone pass.
| Day pass on a Red Ticket | Standard | Gold Class |
|---|---|---|
| All zones | AED 20 | AED 40 |
| Within 1 zone | AED 6 | AED 10 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 8 | AED 14 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 10.50 | AED 19 |
Based on RTA service 648 Travel Pass.
The one mode rule and where to buy a Red NOL Ticket
A Red Ticket carries trips for one mode at a time. Journeys loaded for the Metro cannot be tapped on a bus, so a switch from Metro to Bus means going back to a machine and loading the ticket again for the other mode.
That rule is why the ticket suits a straight airport to hotel run rather than a day of hopping between Metro, Tram and bus. A stored value card handles the same day as one journey when each transfer falls within 30 minutes of check out, with up to 3 transfers inside 180 minutes.
Ticket machines and ticket offices at metro and bus stations sell them, taking cash or card. A ticket tapped after its 90 days have run out counts as an invalid card, which RTA fines at AED 200. Where to buy a NOL card lists every counter, machine and agent.
When a Red NOL Ticket beats a Silver card
Four trips is the crossover point. A Red Ticket plus four one zone rides at AED 4 costs the same as a Silver card once you count its AED 6 issuance fee plus four rides at AED 3. Past four journeys the Silver card is always the cheaper card to be holding.
The same crossover holds at the top of the fare table, where AED 2 plus four rides at AED 8.50 matches AED 6 plus four at AED 7.50. So the Red Ticket is the right buy for a short visit with a handful of journeys and the wrong one for a week in the city. Which card visitors should buy works through the choice with a three day example.
| 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.
When the Red Ticket is the wrong choice
Anyone making more than four journeys is losing money on a Red Ticket. Every ride costs a dirham more than the plastic equivalent, the ticket cannot hold a 7, 30, 90 or 365 day travel pass, and it dies at 10 trips or 90 days, whichever arrives first.
It is also the wrong ticket for a mixed day, because the one mode rule forces a separate load for Metro and for Bus. Nothing on it is recoverable if it goes missing, since a Red Ticket cannot be registered. Residents and daily commuters do better on a Silver or Blue card with a AED 350 monthly pass loaded.
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
How many trips fit on a Red NOL Ticket?
Up to 10 single journeys, or up to 5 day passes. Both limits sit inside a 90 day window that starts the day you buy the ticket.
How much does a Red NOL Ticket cost?
AED 2 for the ticket, which arrives with AED 0 of credit. Journeys are bought on top at AED 4 to AED 8.50 each, or as a day pass from AED 6.
Can I use a Red Ticket on the bus and the metro the same day?
Not on the same load. The ticket holds trips for one mode at a time, so a Metro load has to be replaced at a machine before it works on a bus. A Silver card avoids that and treats the transfer as one journey when it happens inside 30 minutes.
Why is a Red Ticket pricier per trip?
RTA prices it exactly one dirham above the Silver fare in every tier: AED 4 against AED 3 and AED 8.50 against AED 7.50. The premium is the trade for a ticket that costs AED 2 upfront instead of AED 25.
Is the Red Ticket day pass worth buying?
From three long journeys, yes. Three rides at AED 8.50 come to more than the AED 20 all zones day pass, and two rides at AED 4 come to more than the AED 6 one zone version.
Does a Red Ticket work on the Dubai Tram?
Yes, on Metro, Tram and Bus, one mode at a time. Every tram station sits in Zone 2, so a tram ride is a one zone journey at AED 4.
Can I get a refund on an unused Red Ticket?
No. RTA refunds credit on Personal and registered cards only, and a Red Ticket cannot be registered. The AED 2 and any loaded trips go with the ticket if it is lost.