Dubai Metro Station Renames 2025-26: Old vs New Names (Garmin, Life Pharmacy…)
Nineteen Dubai Metro stations have new names, and the newest is Garmin, renamed in September 2026. A rename changes the name only: the station, the code, the zone and the fare stay the same. This guide lists every renamed station with its old name and its new name, so you can match the name on your map to the name on the platform. The full table is below, and the fresh renames from 2025 and 2026 come after it. Fares and dates were checked 13 Nov 2026, so check the RTA map on the day you travel.
Garmin signs are still changing. RTA renamed On Passive station to Garmin on 7 September 2026, and signs, apps and announcements are changing from September to the end of November 2026. During that window you may see both names, so use the code R29 to be sure.
The full list: all 19 renamed stations, old name and new name
All 19 renamed stations are in the table below, with the old name, the new name, the line, the code and the zone. The list is in code order, Red Line first and then Green Line. Sixteen stations are on the Red Line and three are on the Green Line. BurJuman appears once, because it is one station with two codes, R19 on the Red Line and G26 on the Green Line. Zones come from the official RTA rail network map, September 2026 revision. Where sources give different days for one rename, the table gives the year and the article notes the disagreement underneath.
| Station today | Old name or names | Line | Code | Zone | Renamed | Nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrepoint | Rashidiya | Red | R11 | 5 | 4 Aug 2021 | Al Rashidiya Bus Station |
| Al Garhoud | GGICO | Red | R15 | 5 | 14 Apr 2025 | The Irish Village |
| City Centre Deira | Deira City Centre | Red | R16 | 5 | 14 Jun 2022 | City Centre Deira Mall |
| BurJuman | Khalid Bin Al Waleed | Red and Green | R19 / G26 | 6 | 2012 | BurJuman Mall |
| ADCB | Al Karama | Red | R20 | 6 | 15 Sep 2014 | Karama Market |
| Max | Al Jafiliya | Red | R21 | 6 | 4 Aug 2021 | Dubai Frame, Zabeel Park |
| Garmin | Noor Bank, Al Safa, Onpassive | Red | R29 | 2 | 7 Sep 2026 | Alserkal Avenue |
| Equiti | First Gulf Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Umm Al Sheif | Red | R31 | 2 | 18 Apr 2022 | Gold and Diamond Park |
| InsuranceMarket | Sharaf DG, Mashreq | Red | R33 | 2 | 5 Sep 2024 | Al Barsha Pond Park |
| Al Fardan Exchange | Nakheel, Al Khail | Red | R35 | 2 | 1 Apr 2025 | Emirates Golf Club |
| Sobha Realty | Dubai Marina, DAMAC Properties, Dubai Marina | Red | R36 | 2 | 9 Aug 2021 | Dubai Marina Walk |
| DMCC | Jumeirah Lakes Towers | Red | R37 | 2 | 1 Sep 2018 | Almas Tower |
| National Paints | Nakheel Harbour and Tower, Jabal Ali | Red | R38 | 2 | 1 Jul 2025 | Jebel Ali Village |
| Energy | DUBAL | Red | R40 | 2 | 2015 | Festival Plaza Mall |
| Danube | Jebel Ali Industrial | Red | R41 | 1/2 | Nov 2012 | Jebel Ali Free Zone |
| Life Pharmacy | Jebel Ali, UAE Exchange | Red | R42 | 1 | 5 May 2025 | Jebel Ali Port |
| e& | Etisalat | Green | G11 | 5 | 5 Feb 2023 | Al Qusais Pond Park |
| Gold Souq | Palm Deira | Green | G22 | 5 | 18 May 2020 | Deira Gold Souk |
| Sharaf DG | Al Fahidi | Green | G25 | 6 | 24 Nov 2020 | Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood |
Three dates in the table carry a note. BurJuman is dated 2012 only, because Khaleej Times gives 13 November 2012 and Wikipedia gives 12 December 2012. Danube is dated November 2012 only, because the sources give 11, 12 and 13 November 2012. Al Fardan Exchange is dated 1 April 2025, which is what Khaleej Times gives, but two guides say March 2025. Danube also has no single verified zone, as its marker sits on the Zone 1 and Zone 2 boundary on the official RTA map, so the Fare Calculator gives no fare for it. The full station list sits on the All Stations page, and the Red Line Stations page and Green Line Stations page list each line in order.
The 2025 and 2026 renames at a glance
Five stations changed names in 2025 and 2026, and they are the ones most readers are asking about. Four changed in 2025 and one changed in 2026, and all five sit on the Red Line. If your map is from 2024, these are the five names that will not match it. The next sections take each one in turn, with the full name history and what to watch for on the day.
| New name | Old name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Al Garhoud | GGICO | 14 Apr 2025 |
| Al Fardan Exchange | Al Khail | 1 Apr 2025 |
| Life Pharmacy | UAE Exchange | 5 May 2025 |
| National Paints | Jabal Ali | 1 Jul 2025 |
| Garmin | On Passive | 7 Sep 2026 |
The most recent rename before these five was InsuranceMarket, which changed from Mashreq on 5 September 2024. That makes six renames in about two years, after a quiet stretch from 2022 to 2024. The reason is the same in every case: a naming rights deal ended and a new one began. The Metro Map page already uses the new names, so it is the fastest way to check the map you are holding against the network as it runs today.
Garmin: On Passive to Garmin in September 2026
Garmin is the newest name on the Dubai Metro, after RTA renamed On Passive station on 7 September 2026. The deal runs for 10 years, through AMIT Retail, the sole distributor of Garmin in the UAE, and it is part of the RTA naming rights programme that covers stations on both lines. RTA is updating signs, apps and announcements from September to the end of November 2026. That means you may see Garmin on the map and On Passive on a platform sign on the same trip. Both names mean the same station: Red Line, code R29, Zone 2, between Business Bay and Equiti, serving Al Quoz.
The station has had four names since it opened. It opened in May 2010 as Noor Bank, became Al Safa on 24 November 2020, became Onpassive on 11 January 2023, and became Garmin on 7 September 2026. No other station has had four names, and the code is the safest way to find it: R29 has never changed. The site’s On Passive station guide still uses the old name in its title.
- Noor Bank, from May 2010.
- Al Safa, from 24 November 2020.
- Onpassive, from 11 January 2023.
- Garmin, from 7 September 2026.
Life Pharmacy: UAE Exchange to Life Pharmacy in May 2025
Life Pharmacy is the new name for the Red Line terminus that most maps still call UAE Exchange. RTA renamed it on 5 May 2025, when Life Pharmacy took the naming rights for 10 years. The station is the end of the Red Line branch that splits from National Paints, and it serves Jebel Ali and the JAFZA industrial area. It is the last stop, at street level with free parking, so you cannot overshoot it. The site’s UAE Exchange station guide still uses the old name in its title.
The station has had three names: Jebel Ali from March 2011, UAE Exchange from 28 June 2015, and Life Pharmacy from 5 May 2025. The first name is where the confusion starts: Jebel Ali sounds almost the same as Jabal Ali, the old name of National Paints, the interchange where this branch splits off. The two names differ by one vowel. If your map says Jebel Ali, you want Life Pharmacy, code R42, Zone 1. If it says Jabal Ali, you want National Paints, code R38, Zone 2. The Route Planner uses the current names, so type Life Pharmacy there and it will give you the right route.
National Paints: Jabal Ali to National Paints in July 2025
National Paints is the new name for the Red Line interchange that was called Jabal Ali until 1 July 2025. The station is where the Red Line splits, one branch to Expo 2020 and the other to Life Pharmacy. It opened in 2009 as Nakheel Harbour and Tower, became Jabal Ali on 18 May 2020, and became National Paints on 1 July 2025. The site’s Jabal Ali station guide still uses the old name in its title.
Here is the warning in full, because this is the most common name mix up on the network. Jebel Ali was the old name of Life Pharmacy, the terminus, and that name ended in 2015. Jabal Ali was the old name of National Paints, the interchange, and that name ended on 1 July 2025. Some guides spell both names as Jebel Ali, which makes it worse. Trust the RTA map spelling: Jebel Ali belonged to R42, Jabal Ali to R38. If you are changing trains, you want National Paints, code R38, Zone 2. If you are heading to the end of the branch, you want Life Pharmacy, code R42, Zone 1. Trains from Centrepoint now run direct to Life Pharmacy, but the split still matters for Expo 2020, which runs on the other branch.
Al Garhoud and Al Fardan Exchange: the April 2025 pair
Two stations changed names in April 2025: GGICO became Al Garhoud and Al Khail became Al Fardan Exchange. They changed in the same month, on different days, and both sit on the Red Line, so a 2024 map gets two stops wrong at once. Al Garhoud changed on 14 April 2025, and Al Fardan Exchange on 1 April 2025, which is what Khaleej Times gives, although two guides say March 2025.
Al Garhoud is code R15, Zone 5, between Emirates and City Centre Deira, named after the Al Garhoud area. It was called GGICO, after the Gulf General Investment Company, from its opening in May 2010 until 14 April 2025. The site’s GGICO station guide still uses the old name in its title.
Al Fardan Exchange is code R35, Zone 2, between Dubai Internet City and Sobha Realty, near Dubai Media City and the Emirates Golf Club. It opened in October 2010 as Nakheel, became Al Khail on 25 November 2020, and became Al Fardan Exchange on 1 April 2025. The site’s Al Khail station guide still uses the old name in its title. One correction matters here: Al Khail never became Max. Max was Al Jafiliya, a different station, R21, while Al Fardan Exchange is R35.
InsuranceMarket: Mashreq to InsuranceMarket in September 2024
InsuranceMarket is the new name for the Red Line station that was called Mashreq until 5 September 2024. The station is code R33, Zone 2, between Equiti and Dubai Internet City. It was Sharaf DG until 18 May 2020, then Mashreq, then InsuranceMarket. That first name is the interesting one, because Sharaf DG is now the name of a Green Line station, and the next section explains how the name moved. The site’s Mashreq station guide still uses the old name in its title.
The rename happened in September 2024, the most recent rename before the 2025 wave, and it is easy to miss, because it did not come with the same press coverage as the 2025 renames. If your map is from 2023, the station is called Mashreq on it. If your map is from 2025, it is called InsuranceMarket. The station itself is the same elevated stop, and the walk from it to the Museum of the Future area is the same as ever, about 10 to 15 minutes on foot to Emirates Towers station, the nearest stop for the museum.
Why Dubai Metro stations get renamed
Dubai Metro stations get renamed because the RTA sells naming rights to companies. The programme started in 2008, and it lets a company put its brand on a station, usually for 10 years, in exchange for a fee. When the deal ends, the station gets a new name, or it goes back to a place name. That is why the names change in waves: several deals end around the same time, and several stations change at once, as they did in 2020 and in 2025.
The deals are large: RTA figures put the revenue above AED 2 billion, at roughly AED 90 to 100 million per station on average. The Garmin deal is typical, 10 years signed through AMIT Retail, with Mada Media, the company that manages RTA outdoor advertising, involved. That is why some stations carry company names, like Garmin, Equiti and InsuranceMarket, while others carry place names, like Al Garhoud.
When a deal ends and no new sponsor steps in, the station takes a place name instead, as Al Garhoud did when the GGICO deal ended. Either way, the rename is a branding change, not a transport change: the platforms, lifts, exits, bus connections and timings all stay exactly as they were.
Stations that changed names more than once
Seven stations on the Dubai Metro have changed names more than once. If you have a map from 2015 or 2020, you may meet two old names for one station, and both of them are wrong now. The table below gives every name in order, so any old name you have leads to the right station.
| Station today | Name chain, in order |
|---|---|
| Garmin | Noor Bank (2010), Al Safa (2020), Onpassive (2023), Garmin (2026) |
| Sobha Realty | Dubai Marina (2010), DAMAC Properties (2014), Dubai Marina (2020), Sobha Realty (2021) |
| Al Fardan Exchange | Nakheel (2010), Al Khail (2020), Al Fardan Exchange (2025) |
| National Paints | Nakheel Harbour and Tower (2009), Jabal Ali (2020), National Paints (2025) |
| Life Pharmacy | Jebel Ali (2011), UAE Exchange (2015), Life Pharmacy (2025) |
| InsuranceMarket | Sharaf DG (2010), Mashreq (2020), InsuranceMarket (2024) |
| Equiti | First Gulf Bank (2010), First Abu Dhabi Bank, Umm Al Sheif (2020), Equiti (2022) |
Garmin is the only station with four names, and Sobha Realty is the other one with a return in its chain: it went back to Dubai Marina in November 2020 before becoming Sobha Realty in August 2021. That return is why some guides date the Sobha Realty rename to 2019, which is wrong: the rename was 9 August 2021, and the 2019 date does not appear in Khaleej Times or Wikipedia. DMCC is the other date to be careful with: most sources give 1 September 2018 for the change from Jumeirah Lakes Towers, while Wikipedia gives 12 and 13 August 2018 in different tables. The month is right either way, and the year is 2018. The Tourist Guide uses the current names throughout, so it is a safe place to check a name you are unsure about.
Names that moved from one station to another
Some station names did not disappear, they moved to a different station. Sharaf DG is the clearest case. It was the name of the Red Line station now called InsuranceMarket, code R33, until 18 May 2020, when that station became Mashreq. Six months later, on 24 November 2020, Sharaf DG became the name of a Green Line station, code G25, which had been called Al Fahidi. So the name sat on two different stations at different times, one on each line. Follow the code instead: R33 is InsuranceMarket now, and G25 is Sharaf DG now.
The Jebel Ali and Jabal Ali pair is the same kind of trap. Jebel Ali was the name of the terminus, code R42, until June 2015, when it became UAE Exchange and then Life Pharmacy. Jabal Ali was the name of the interchange, code R38, from May 2020 until July 2025, when it became National Paints. The two names differ by one vowel, and both stations still exist under new names. Two names also left the map altogether: Al Safa was the Garmin station from 2020 to 2023, and Al Khail was the Al Fardan Exchange station from 2020 to 2025. If a guide tells you to get off at Al Safa or Al Khail, it is out of date.
Two names that look like renames but are not
Two names on old guides look like renames, but the stations were never renamed. Dubai Internet City opened in April 2010 as Dubai Internet City, and it has carried that name ever since. The old station post on this site calls it Internet City in the title, but that is shorthand, not a former name. Emirates Towers opened in April 2010 as Emirates Towers, and it has carried that name ever since. The old station post on this site calls it Emirates Tower in the title, but that is shorthand too, not a former name. Neither station belongs in the renamed table, and neither appears there.
The third error is a mix up rather than a shorthand. The site’s own sitemap says Al Khail is now Max. That is wrong: Al Khail became Al Fardan Exchange on 1 April 2025, and Max was Al Jafiliya, a different station, renamed on 4 August 2021. The two stations are 14 stops apart: Max is code R21, Zone 6, and Al Fardan Exchange is code R35, Zone 2. If you want the two station guides, read the Internet City station post as the Dubai Internet City guide and the Emirates Tower station post as the Emirates Towers guide, and remember the titles are short forms.
What a rename does not change
A rename changes the name only: the station, the code, the zone and the fare stay the same. The station stays in the same place, with the same platforms and exits. The code never changes, which is why it is the safest way to find a station. The zone never changes, so the fare never changes either. Nothing about the journey changes except the word on the sign.
- Location: the station stays where it was.
- Code: the code never changes.
- Zone: the zone never changes.
- Fare: AED 5 before is still AED 5 after.
- Line: the station stays on the same line.
- Timings: first and last trains stay the same.
Here is a fare example, as checked 13 Nov 2026. Centrepoint to Mall of the Emirates costs AED 7.50 on a Silver card, because it crosses 3 zones, and AED 10.50 on a QR single Regular ticket. The fare is set by the zones, not by the names. Silver fares are AED 3, 5 and 7.50 for 1, 2 and more than 2 zones. QR singles are AED 6, 8 and 10.50 for Regular and AED 10, 14 and 19 for Gold, with a day pass at AED 22 for Regular and AED 42 for Gold, including an AED 2 fee per transaction. No daily fare cap is published on the RTA fares page, so this guide does not give one. Check any fare yourself on the Fare Calculator before you travel.
How to travel when the name changed
Use the station code, not the name, when a name has just changed. Codes never change, while names do. Garmin is R29 whether the sign says Garmin or On Passive, and Life Pharmacy is R42 whether the guide says Life Pharmacy or UAE Exchange. The code is printed on the RTA map, in the S’hail app, on the platform signs and on the train announcements.
Codes never change, names do. If a sign and your map disagree, trust the code: R29 is Garmin, R42 is Life Pharmacy, R38 is National Paints, R15 is Al Garhoud and R35 is Al Fardan Exchange.
- Check the code first, then read the name.
- Use the S’hail app, not a printed map from before 2025.
- Listen to the announcements at each stop.
- If a sign still shows the old name, check the code on the same sign.
- Ask staff by the code if you are unsure.
- Check the Metro Timings page for first and last trains: Monday to Thursday and Saturday 5:00 am to midnight, Friday 5:00 am to 1:00 am, Sunday 8:00 am to midnight, as checked 13 Nov 2026.
One more change is coming: new names rather than renamed ones. The Blue Line is due to open on 9 September 2029, with 14 stations, and only the first station has a name so far: Emaar Properties. The other 13 names will be confirmed by the RTA closer to opening. The Fares Hub and the QR Tickets guide both use the current station names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the newest Dubai Metro station name?
Garmin is the newest name on the Dubai Metro. RTA renamed On Passive station to Garmin on 7 September 2026, under a 10 year naming rights deal. Signs, apps and announcements are changing from September to the end of November 2026, so you may still see On Passive on some signs. The station is Red Line, code R29, Zone 2.
Is On Passive station now called Garmin?
Yes. On Passive station is now called Garmin, and it has been since 7 September 2026. It is the same station, on the Red Line between Business Bay and Equiti, with the same code, R29, and the same Zone 2 fare. The station opened as Noor Bank in 2010, became Al Safa in 2020 and Onpassive in 2023, so Garmin is its fourth name. Use the code R29 if a sign still shows the old name.
What is UAE Exchange station called now?
UAE Exchange station is now called Life Pharmacy. RTA renamed it on 5 May 2025. It is the Red Line terminus on the branch from National Paints, code R42, Zone 1, serving Jebel Ali and JAFZA. The station was called Jebel Ali before it became UAE Exchange in 2015, so it has had three names. Do not confuse it with Jabal Ali, which was the old name of National Paints, a different station.
Did the fare change when the station was renamed?
No. A rename changes the name only, and the fare stays the same, because fares are set by zones, not by names. The zone of every renamed station stayed the same, so a trip that cost AED 5 before the rename still costs AED 5 after it. Silver fares are AED 3, 5 and 7.50 for 1, 2 and more than 2 zones, as checked 13 Nov 2026. Check your own trip on the Fare Calculator before you travel.
Why do Dubai Metro stations keep changing names?
Stations change names because the RTA sells naming rights to companies, usually for 10 years. When a deal ends, the station gets a new name, or it goes back to a place name. The programme started in 2008, and RTA figures put the revenue above AED 2 billion. A rename is a branding change only: the station, the code, the zone, the fare and the timings all stay the same.
Where can I check the current station name before I travel?
Check the official RTA rail network map on rta.ae, or the S’hail app, which carries the current names. On this site, the Metro Map page and the All Stations page both use the current names, and the Route Planner uses them too. If a sign and your map disagree, trust the station code, which never changes: Garmin is R29, Life Pharmacy is R42 and National Paints is R38.
