Dubai Metro Timings for Ramadan, Eid and New Year’s Eve 2026-27
The Dubai Metro keeps its normal hours through Ramadan, runs later on Eid, and runs non-stop on New Year’s Eve. The rest of this guide is the detail behind it. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027. Eid al-Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 March or Wednesday 10 March 2027, and Eid al-Adha is expected on Sunday 16 May or Monday 17 May 2027. New Year’s Eve falls on Thursday 31 December 2026. Every date here is expected, not confirmed, because Islamic dates depend on the official moon sighting, and RTA publishes its special hours close to each occasion. Hours RTA has announced are labelled as announced, and the rest as not yet announced. All figures were checked on 13 November 2026.
The short answer: what changes and what does not
Ramadan does not change Metro hours, Eid adds one extra hour at night, and New Year’s Eve is the only night the Metro runs without stopping. If you remember one line from this guide, remember that one. The table below gives the same answer in four rows, with a status column so you can see at a glance what RTA has confirmed and what is still to be announced. Ramadan runs on the normal week, so the only thing to plan around is the crowds, not the clock. Eid keeps the normal 5:00am start and moves the last train to 1:00am, which is one hour later than a normal weeknight. New Year’s Eve is different again: last year the Metro did not stop at all from 5:00am on 31 December to 11:59pm on 1 January, and this year the plan is not published yet. The status column matters as much as the hours. Anything marked expected can move by a day, and anything marked not yet announced can change when RTA publishes the plan. Check the date on this guide before you rely on it, and check rta.ae on the day you travel.
| Occasion | Metro hours | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan 2027 (8 Feb to 8 or 9 Mar) | Normal week: 5:00am to midnight, Fri to 1:00am, Sun from 8:00am | Confirmed pattern, no 2027 announcement yet |
| Eid al-Fitr (9 or 10 Mar) | Expected 5:00am to 1:00am | Pattern from 2026, not yet announced |
| Eid al-Adha (16 or 17 May) | Expected 5:00am to 1:00am | Pattern from 2026, not yet announced |
| New Year’s Eve (31 Dec 2026) | Last year: non-stop for 43 hours | 2026 plan not yet announced |
Ramadan 2027: the dates
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, subject to the official moon sighting. The forecast comes from the UAE Astronomy Centre, reported by The National, Gulf News and Khaleej Times. The month lasts 29 or 30 days, so it ends on 8 or 9 March 2027, and the exact start is confirmed by the UAE moon-sighting committee on the evening of 7 February. If the crescent is seen that evening, Ramadan begins on 8 February. If it is not seen, the month before Ramadan runs its full 30 days and Ramadan begins on 9 February. Plan around the earliest date and keep one day of slack in your plans. The dates matter for Metro travel because the busy nights cluster around them: the first nights, the last ten nights, and the nights around Eid. Eid al-Fitr follows at the end of Ramadan, on Tuesday 9 March if Ramadan lasts 29 days, or Wednesday 10 March if it lasts 30 days. The public holiday runs from 9 to 11 March, or 9 to 12 March if Ramadan lasts 30 days. Eid al-Adha comes later, on Sunday 16 May or Monday 17 May 2027, with Arafat Day on Saturday 15 May and the public holiday running 15 to 18 May.
| Occasion | Expected date | How it is confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| First day of Ramadan | Monday 8 February 2027 | Moon sighting, evening of 7 February |
| Eid al-Fitr | Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027 | Moon sighting at the end of Ramadan |
| Arafat Day | Saturday 15 May 2027 | Moon sighting |
| Eid al-Adha | Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027 | Moon sighting |
Dubai Metro timings in Ramadan
Dubai Metro trains run the same hours in Ramadan as the rest of the year. This surprises most people, and it is the single most useful fact in this guide. RTA published its Ramadan service hours for 2026 in February that year, and the Metro hours in that announcement are identical to the normal week: Monday to Thursday 5:00am to midnight, Friday 5:00am to 1:00am, Saturday 5:00am to midnight, and Sunday 8:00am to midnight. The same hours ran through Ramadan in 2025 and 2026, and no separate Ramadan Metro timetable exists, because there is nothing different to publish. That is why you will not find a Ramadan Metro timetable on rta.ae: there is none to find. If you are fasting, the practical point is that the last train home after iftar is the same last train as any other night, and the first train in the morning is the same too. The one thing to watch is the Sunday late start: on Sundays the Metro opens at 8:00am, not 5:00am, and that applies in Ramadan as well. RTA has not published a Ramadan 2027 announcement yet: it usually comes about two weeks before Ramadan begins, so expect it in late January 2027. Until then, plan on the normal week. Our Metro Timings page has the full per-station last train table for the normal week.
| Day | First train | Last train |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 5:00am | Midnight |
| Friday | 5:00am | 1:00am |
| Saturday | 5:00am | Midnight |
| Sunday | 8:00am | Midnight |
People expect a change because working hours shorten in Ramadan: private sector hours are cut by two hours a day, and government offices run shorter days. The Metro does not follow that pattern. It runs for the city, and the city still needs to move after iftar. The clocks stay the same, and only the crowds move.
What Ramadan changes on the Metro: the rush hours move
Ramadan does not change the timetable, but it moves the rush hours. On a normal day the busiest trains are the morning and evening commutes. In Ramadan the morning stays busy, and a new rush appears in the hour before sunset, when thousands of people finish work and head home to break their fast with family. Guides that cover Ramadan travel describe platforms filling fast from about 45 minutes to an hour before sunset, and advise allowing 20 to 30 extra minutes if you must travel then. A second rush follows after iftar, when families head out again for the evening, and the trains stay busy late into the night. Guides also report more trains between 7:00pm and 10:00pm, but that comes from guides, not from RTA, so treat it as reported rather than promised. If you can, travel before the pre-iftar rush or after it. If you cannot, allow an extra half hour and expect a full train. Suhoor travel is the quiet end of the day: the first trains at 5:00am are the emptiest of Ramadan.
- Before iftar: about an hour before sunset, the busiest hour of the day.
- After iftar: families head out again, and trains stay busy into the late evening.
- Late night: quieter after 11:00pm on most nights.
Dubai Tram and buses in Ramadan
The Dubai Tram keeps its normal hours in Ramadan, and buses run on the RTA Ramadan schedule. The Tram runs Monday to Saturday from 6:00am to 1:00am, and on Sunday from 9:00am to 1:00am, and those hours did not change in Ramadan 2025 or 2026. Changing from the Metro to the Tram at DMCC or Sobha Realty works the same way it always does. Check the Tram times on the day if you are cutting it close, because the last Tram of the night is the one that matters. Buses are different: RTA publishes adjusted bus hours for Ramadan each year, with the same announcement that covers the Metro, the Tram and parking. No bus hours were verified for this article, and bus times change from route to route, so do not rely on a bus hour from a guide. Use the S’hail app for the route you need: it shows live times, and it is the only source that updates when RTA changes a schedule. Paid parking also runs on a Ramadan schedule, with the hour around iftar free. Our Local Transport guide has the Tram stops and the bus and abra options in one place.
| Day | First Tram | Last Tram |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 6:00am | 1:00am |
| Sunday | 9:00am | 1:00am |
Eid al-Fitr 2027: expected dates and Metro hours
Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected on Tuesday 9 March or Wednesday 10 March 2027, and the Metro is expected to run from 5:00am to 1:00am across the holiday. Eid is the holiday when the Metro actually runs later. For Eid al-Fitr in March 2026, Khaleej Times reported Metro hours of 5:00am to 1:00am across the holiday, with the Tram running 6:00am to 1:00am, and the same pattern is expected in 2027. RTA announces the exact hours a few days before the holiday, once the moon sighting confirms the date, so the hours below are the pattern to expect, not an announcement. The holiday itself lasts three days, or four if Ramadan lasts 30 days: 9 to 11 March, or 9 to 12 March. The Metro keeps its normal 5:00am start every day, and the 1:00am closing applies every night, including Sunday, when the Metro still opens at 8:00am. The late closing does not change the late opening, so do not turn up at 5:00am on the Sunday of Eid expecting a train. The busiest Eid travel is the first evening and the last evening. Allow extra time on both, and top up your NOL card before the holiday: the top-up machines at busy stations have queues of their own.
| Service | Eid al-Fitr 2026 (reported) | Eid al-Fitr 2027 (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| Metro | 5:00am to 1:00am | 5:00am to 1:00am, not yet announced |
| Tram | 6:00am to 1:00am | 6:00am to 1:00am, not yet announced |
Eid al-Adha 2027: expected dates and Metro hours
Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected on Sunday 16 May or Monday 17 May 2027, with the same late closing as Eid al-Fitr. The holiday runs from Saturday 15 May, which is Arafat Day, to Tuesday 18 May, and the Metro is expected to run from 5:00am to 1:00am across it, following the same pattern as Eid al-Fitr. In May 2026, Eid al-Adha followed the same extended pattern, and the Sunday 8:00am start was kept even on the holiday, so the late closing and the late opening both apply on the Sunday of Eid al-Adha. Arafat Day is a public holiday, and the quietest of the four days for travel. The busiest days are the first day of Eid and the last day, when families visit and then head home. If you are flying out during the holiday, allow extra time: the Red Line to Airport Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 runs on the same extended hours, but the stations are busy, and the last train from the airport is the one to check. Our Dubai Airport by Metro guide has the terminal details. As with Eid al-Fitr, RTA announces the exact hours a few days before the holiday. Until then, the 2026 pattern is the best guide you have.
New Year’s Eve 31 December 2026: what last year looked like
On New Year’s Eve last year, the Dubai Metro ran non-stop for 43 hours, from 5:00am on 31 December to 11:59pm on 1 January. That is the longest continuous run in RTA history, and it is the pattern to expect this year, but it is not this year’s plan. The official RTA plan for 31 December 2026 is not out yet: it was not out when this guide was checked on 13 November 2026. Last year the plan came out on 26 December, five days before the night, so expect this year’s plan around the same time. One guide already lists the 43-hour run for this year as if RTA announced it. That is premature: the 2026 plan is not published, and the hours can change. Treat 43 hours as last year’s pattern and check rta.ae in the last week of December. The Tram ran alongside the Metro last year, from 6:00am on 31 December to 1:00am on 2 January, with extra trains at the busiest stations: Emirates Towers, Financial Centre, Business Bay and Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. More than 1,000 extra buses were on the road, and some bus routes ran free. Those are last year’s details, showing the scale of the night rather than a promise for this year.
| Service | Last year (31 Dec 2025) | This year (31 Dec 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Metro | Non-stop, 5:00am 31 Dec to 11:59pm 1 Jan | Not yet announced |
| Tram | 6:00am 31 Dec to 1:00am 2 Jan | Not yet announced |
| RTA plan published | 26 Dec 2025 | Not yet published |
New Year’s Eve: Burj Khalifa station closes at 5pm
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station closes to entry from 5:00pm on New Year’s Eve, or earlier if the platforms fill up. This is the one rule that catches first-time visitors. The station does not close for the day: trains keep passing through, but the gates shut to entry, and a train after 5:00pm will pass straight through without stopping. You must then get off at Financial Centre or Business Bay and walk about 2 km under crowd controls, which takes far longer than 2 km usually does. The fix is simple: arrive before 5:00pm, or plan to use Financial Centre or Business Bay from the start. Financial Centre is closer for the Downtown fireworks, and Business Bay is the calmer walk. Both are on the Red Line, one stop and two stops from Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. Watching from the Marina or JBR instead? None of this applies: use DMCC or Sobha Realty and the Tram as normal.
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station closes to entry at 5:00pm on New Year’s Eve. Arrive before 5:00pm, or use Financial Centre or Business Bay instead. Trains keep passing through, but they do not stop for boarding after the gates shut.
New Year’s Eve: getting home after midnight
After midnight on New Year’s Eve, the Metro is the fastest way out of Downtown, because the roads around it are closed. Last year Sheikh Zayed Road was closed from 6:00am on 31 December to 2:00am on 2 January, and the JBR area was closed to traffic and open to pedestrians only from 4:00pm. Taxis could reach Downtown only until the closures began, and after that the only way in or out was on foot or by Metro. That is why the Metro ran all night: it is the one service that does not sit in traffic. If you watched the fireworks in Downtown, walk to Financial Centre or Business Bay and take the train from there. If you watched from the Marina, take the Tram to DMCC or Sobha Realty and change to the Metro. Expect queues at every station after midnight, and expect to wait for two or three trains. That is normal on this night, and still faster than any road. Check the S’hail app for live times before you leave the fireworks, and keep your NOL card topped up, because the top-up machines at the busiest stations have long queues after midnight.
What it costs on these nights: fares do not change
Metro fares do not change on Ramadan nights, Eid or New Year’s Eve. There is no holiday surge pricing on the Metro, and the same NOL tariffs apply through every night in this guide. A Silver card trip costs AED 3 for one zone, AED 5 for two zones and AED 7.50 for more than two zones, and a Gold card trip costs AED 6, AED 10 and AED 15. A QR single costs AED 6, AED 8 or AED 10.50 on Regular, and AED 10, AED 14 or AED 19 on Gold. A QR day pass costs AED 22 on Regular and AED 42 on Gold, including an AED 2 fee per transaction. The day pass is the best value if you are making four or more trips in a day. Do not rely on buying a ticket at the station on the night. The ticket machines at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, Financial Centre, Business Bay, DMCC and Sobha Realty have long queues on New Year’s Eve, and the machines at the airport are busy on Eid travel days. Buy a QR ticket on nol Pay or S’hail before you travel, or top up your NOL card the day before. The minimum balance is AED 7.50, and children 5 and under travel free. Our Fares Hub has the full tables, and the Fare Calculator prices your exact trip.
| Ticket | 1 zone | 2 zones | More than 2 zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver NOL | AED 3 | AED 5 | AED 7.50 |
| Gold NOL | AED 6 | AED 10 | AED 15 |
| QR single Regular | AED 6 | AED 8 | AED 10.50 |
| QR single Gold | AED 10 | AED 14 | AED 19 |
Planning checklist: check before you travel
Check three things before you travel on any of these nights: the date, the RTA announcement, and your NOL balance. The date moves, the announcement comes late, and the balance is the one thing you control. The checklist below is the same for all three occasions. Run through it the day before you travel, and again on the morning of the day itself. If anything has changed, the RTA announcement and the S’hail app will say so first. The Fares Hub has the full fare tables if you need them, and the Route Planner will price your exact trip.
- Confirm the date: check the moon sighting for Ramadan and Eid, and the RTA plan for New Year’s Eve.
- Read the RTA announcement: Ramadan about two weeks before 8 February, Eid a few days before, New Year’s Eve around late December.
- Check your NOL balance: top up to at least AED 7.50, and more if you are making several trips.
- Buy your ticket before the night: a QR ticket on nol Pay or S’hail beats the station machines.
- Know your backup station: Financial Centre or Business Bay for Downtown, DMCC or Sobha Realty for the Marina.
- Check the S’hail app on the day: it shows live times and any last-minute change.
Tips for travelling on busy nights
Arrive early, top up your NOL card before you travel, and know your backup station. Those three habits cover most of what goes wrong on a busy night. Travel light if you can: a big bag on a crowded train is slow for everyone. Keep water with you on New Year’s Eve: the walk to the fireworks and back is long, and the queues are longer. If the platform is full, wait for the next train: on New Year’s Eve another comes in a few minutes, and the one after that is emptier. If you are travelling with children, keep them close and board together: the doors close fast.
- Arrive before the rush: before sunset in Ramadan, before 5:00pm in Downtown on New Year’s Eve.
- Top up the day before: the machines at busy stations have queues on the night.
- Know the backup station: Financial Centre or Business Bay for Downtown, DMCC or Sobha Realty for the Marina.
- Travel light: big bags are slow on a crowded train.
- Let a full train go: the next one comes in a few minutes, and it is emptier.
- Keep children close on the platform: the doors close fast.
Frequently asked questions
Do Dubai Metro timings change during Ramadan?
No. Dubai Metro trains run the same hours in Ramadan as the rest of the year: Monday to Thursday 5:00am to midnight, Friday 5:00am to 1:00am, Saturday 5:00am to midnight, and Sunday 8:00am to midnight. RTA published those hours for Ramadan 2026, and guides confirm the hours did not change in 2025 or 2026. What changes is when the trains are busy: the hour before sunset is the busiest of the day. No Ramadan 2027 announcement exists yet, so plan on the normal week and check rta.ae in late January 2027.
What time does the Metro run on Eid?
The Metro is expected to run from 5:00am to 1:00am across both Eid holidays in 2027. That is the pattern from 2026, when Khaleej Times reported those hours for Eid al-Fitr and the same pattern for Eid al-Adha. The Sunday 8:00am start is kept even on Eid. RTA announces the exact hours a few days before each holiday, once the moon sighting confirms the date, so check rta.ae or the S’hail app before you travel.
Does the Metro run all night on New Year’s Eve?
Last year it did. The Metro ran non-stop for 43 hours, from 5:00am on 31 December to 11:59pm on 1 January, and the Tram ran from 6:00am on 31 December to 1:00am on 2 January. This year’s plan is not published yet: the RTA plan for 31 December 2026 was not out when this guide was checked on 13 November 2026. Last year it came out on 26 December, so expect this year’s plan around the same time.
What time does Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station close on New Year’s Eve?
Entry closes from 5:00pm, or earlier if the platforms fill up. Trains keep passing through, but they do not stop for boarding, so you must use Financial Centre or Business Bay instead. The walk from either station is about 2 km under crowd controls. Arrive before 5:00pm if you want to use the station itself. This is last year’s rule, and it is the one to check again when the 2026 plan is published.
Do Metro fares cost more on Eid or New Year’s Eve?
No. Metro fares do not change on any night in this guide. A Silver card trip costs AED 3, AED 5 or AED 7.50 depending on the zones, and a QR day pass costs AED 22 on Regular and AED 42 on Gold. There is no holiday surge pricing, and no daily fare cap is published, so do not plan around one. Top up your NOL card before the night, because the machines at busy stations have long queues.
When will RTA announce the 2027 Ramadan and New Year’s Eve timings?
RTA usually publishes its Ramadan hours about two weeks before Ramadan begins, so expect the 2027 announcement in late January 2027. Eid hours come a few days before each holiday, once the moon sighting confirms the date. The New Year’s Eve plan came out on 26 December last year, so expect this year’s plan in the last week of December 2026. Check rta.ae and the S’hail app on the day you travel, because the announcement is the only source that counts.
