Things to Do Near Max Metro Station: Dubai Frame, Zabeel Park & Museum of the Future

Max Metro Station is the nearest Metro station to Dubai Frame and Zabeel Park. Max is on the Red Line, code R21, in Zone 6, and it was called Al Jafiliya before the station was renamed in 2021, so older maps and guides may still use that name. From Max you can walk to Zabeel Park in about 5 to 10 minutes, and to Dubai Frame in about 12 to 15 minutes. The Museum of the Future is the one place on this list that does not belong at Max: its nearest station is Emirates Towers, two stops south, and the museum is temporarily closed as checked 11 Nov 2026. This guide suits a first time visitor with half a day, and a family heading to the Frame and the park. Prices and hours below were checked 11 Nov 2026, and they change, so check the official site on the day you go.

Max Metro Station at a glance

Max Metro Station is on the Red Line in Zone 6. It is an elevated station on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road, between ADCB to the north and World Trade Centre to the south, and it serves Zabeel Park, Dubai Frame and the Al Jafiliya area. The station code is R21, which is the safest way to find it on a map, because sponsor names change and codes do not. Al Jafiliya Bus Station is next to the Metro station, with buses to Satwa and nearby areas, so Max works as a bus and Metro interchange as well as a stop for the park.

• Line: Red Line, code R21.
• Zone: Zone 6.
• Former name: Al Jafiliya, renamed in 2021.
• Neighbours: ADCB to the north, World Trade Centre to the south.
• Nearest places: Zabeel Park, Dubai Frame, Dubai Garden Glow, Al Jafiliya Bus Station.

Use the current name Max on signs, in the RTA app and when you ask for directions, and treat Al Jafiliya as a clue in older guides, not as the name on the platform. The full station guide is our Max Metro Station guide, and the line order is on our Red Line Stations page.

Which station is nearest for each place?

Max is the nearest station for Dubai Frame and Zabeel Park, not for the Museum of the Future. That one sentence saves most visitors a long, hot walk. One station does not cover all three places, because the Museum of the Future stands on Sheikh Zayed Road at Trade Centre 2, two stops south of Max. Use the table below, and pick the station for the place you are actually going to first.

Place	Nearest station	Stops from Max	Walk from that station
Dubai Frame, Gate 4	Max, Red Line	0	About 12 to 15 minutes
Zabeel Park, Gate 1	Max, Red Line	0	About 5 to 10 minutes
Dubai Garden Glow, Gate 3	Max, Red Line	0	About 10 to 15 minutes
Museum of the Future	Emirates Towers, Red Line	2	About 5 to 10 minutes

The gate matters as much as the station. Gate 1 is the closest park gate from Max for a general park visit, Gate 4 is the gate for Dubai Frame, and Gate 3 is the gate for Dubai Garden Glow. Enter at the wrong gate and Zabeel Park will add a long walk inside the park, even though you started at the right station. If you start at the wrong station, you pay with time, not money, because the Metro ride back is short but the walk in the heat is not.

How to get to Max station, and what the fare is

Take the Red Line to Max Metro Station, code R21. From DXB Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, take the Red Line towards UAE Exchange and ride to Max. Terminal 2 has no Metro station, so from Terminal 2 take a bus or taxi to the nearest Metro station first. From Downtown, take the Red Line towards Centrepoint to Max. From Deira, take the Red Line from Union towards UAE Exchange, cross the creek to BurJuman, then ride two more stops to Max.

Trip to Max	Zones touched	Silver fare	QR single, Regular
From DXB Terminal 1 or 3	2 zones, 5 and 6	AED 5	AED 8
From Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall	1 zone, 6	AED 3	AED 6
From Union	2 zones, 5 and 6	AED 5	AED 8
From Emirates Towers	1 zone, 6	AED 3	AED 6

Silver fares are AED 3 for 1 zone, AED 5 for 2 zones and AED 7.50 for all zones, and Gold fares are double at AED 6, AED 10 and AED 15. A QR single is AED 6, AED 8 or AED 10.50 for Regular, and AED 10, AED 14 or AED 19 for Gold, plus an AED 2 fee per transaction, not per ticket. A QR Day Pass is AED 22 Regular and AED 42 Gold, plus the same AED 2 fee. Check the numbers in our Fare Calculator before you buy. Train times are Monday to Thursday and Saturday 5:00 am to 12:00 midnight, Friday 5:00 am to 1:00 am, and Sunday 8:00 am to 12:00 midnight, and our Dubai Metro Timings guide has the first and last trains.

Dubai Frame: what you see inside

Dubai Frame is a 150 metre high golden frame in Zabeel Park. It stands 93 metres wide, with two towers joined at the top by a sky bridge, and it frames two different views of Dubai in one place: Old Dubai to the north, and the modern towers to the south. The visit is a three part experience, not only a viewpoint, and most visitors spend about 60 to 90 minutes inside.

• Past Gallery, ground floor: a multimedia museum about Dubai as a fishing and trading port, with old photos, recreated scenes and sound, showing how the city grew into a modern city.
• Sky Deck and glass bridge, 48th floor: a lift to the top, then a 93 metre walkway between the towers, with a glass floor panel that turns clear as you step on it, and views to Deira in one direction and to Downtown in the other.
• Future Gallery, on the way down: screens and projections imagining Dubai in 2050, closing the past, present and future story that the Frame was built to tell.

From the top, look north first for Old Dubai and the creek, then turn south for Sheikh Zayed Road and the Burj Khalifa. On a hazy day the far view softens, so a clear morning or a sunset visit gives the best photos. Large bags and strollers are left at the Gate 4 counter, and food and drink are not allowed inside, so travel light.

Dubai Frame tickets, hours and the best time to visit

Dubai Frame tickets cost AED 50 for adults and AED 20 for children aged 3 to 12, as checked 11 Nov 2026. The official site lists those prices, and infants under 3 enter free, as do people of determination plus 2 companions. The Frame is open daily from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, including weekends and public holidays, and timings may vary during Ramadan and on holidays, so check the official site on the day you go.

Ticket, as checked 11 Nov 2026	Listed price
Adult	AED 50
Child, aged 3 to 12	AED 20
Infant, under 3	Free
People of determination, plus 2 companions	Free

Check the final amount at checkout before you pay. A Visit Dubai booking listing shows AED 52.50 for an adult and AED 21 for a child, which is the same ticket with 5 percent VAT added, while the official site lists AED 50 and AED 20 before VAT. The official price resolution also gives a 15 percent discount for tickets bought through the official website in off peak hours, so check the booking page for the price on your date. A Dubai Frame ticket includes entry to Zabeel Park, so do not pay the separate AED 5 park fee as well.

The best time is early morning, just after opening, when the light is clear and the queue is shortest, or late afternoon for sunset. Midday in summer is hot on the glass bridge, and weekends bring the longest queues, so book online for a timed slot. Allow about 60 to 90 minutes inside, plus the walk from Max.

Zabeel Park: what to do around the Frame

Zabeel Park is a large public park around Dubai Frame. It covers about 47.5 hectares, with lawns, trees, a jogging track, play areas and picnic spots, and it is one of the cheapest days out in central Dubai. The Frame is the headline inside the park, but the park itself is worth a slow morning, a run, or a picnic with children.

• Lawns and picnic spots: bring a mat, water and shade, and use the open grass near the Frame for a rest.
• Jogging track and paths: the park has a running track and wide paths, best early in the morning.
• Play areas for children: family play zones sit near the main gates.
• Photos from the ground: the Frame looks best from the lawns at a distance, with the full gold rectangle against the sky.

Park entry is AED 5 per person, paid by nol card at the gate, and children under 2 enter free, as do people of determination. Hours are reported as Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and Friday to Sunday 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, as checked 11 Nov 2026, so check Dubai Municipality on the day. A Dubai Frame ticket includes park entry, so do not pay twice. Gate 1 is closest to Max for a general park visit, Gate 4 is for the Frame, and Gate 3 is for Garden Glow.

Dubai Garden Glow, Dinosaur Park and Fantasy Park

Dubai Garden Glow is an evening light park inside Zabeel Park at Gate 3. It sits next to Dubai Frame, and one ticket covers two parks: Dinosaur Park, with life size moving dinosaurs, and Fantasy Park, with large illuminated sculptures. It is best after sunset in the cooler months, and it turns a daytime Frame visit into a full day at Max.

• Dinosaur Park: more than 100 life size animatronic dinosaurs among the planting, best seen while it is still light, then lit after dark.
• Fantasy Park: illuminated sculptures, tunnels and floral displays that glow after sunset, and the part of Glow that photographs best at night.

Glow is seasonal, and the price and hours change by season, so check the official site on the day. The official site lists a ticket at AED 74 for guests aged 3 and above, valid 11 Nov 2026 to 31 Dec 2026, with summer timing 4 pm to 9 pm and closed every Tuesday, while other listings give AED 61 to AED 73.50 and winter hours of 5 pm to 11 pm. Use Gate 3, next to Dubai Frame, not the old Gates 6 and 7 that older guides still list. Allow 2 to 3 hours inside, and check the last train before you go in.

Museum of the Future: why Max is the wrong station

The Museum of the Future is not at Max station. It stands on Sheikh Zayed Road at Trade Centre 2, next to the Emirates Towers, and its nearest station is Emirates Towers on the Red Line. The confusion is easy to understand: the museum is only two stops from Max, and many map results list it as a place near Max, but near on a map is not near on foot in Dubai heat. From Max, ride two stops south, past World Trade Centre, to Emirates Towers, then walk.

1. At Max, take the Red Line towards UAE Exchange.
2. Ride one stop to World Trade Centre.
3. Ride one more stop to Emirates Towers and exit the station.
4. Follow the signs towards the Museum of the Future and walk about 5 to 10 minutes to the building.

Listings give the walk from Emirates Towers as 300 to 780 metres, and 3 to 11 minutes, depending on the exit and the route, so use about 5 to 10 minutes as a planning range, not one exact figure. Some guides describe a covered link bridge from the station to the museum, but the time on that route varies by source, so follow the signs in the station on the day. Our Emirates Towers Metro Station guide has the station details, and our World Trade Centre Metro Station guide covers the stop in between.

Museum of the Future: closed now, what to do instead

The Museum of the Future is temporarily closed, with reopening planned for the first quarter of 2027. The museum closed its main exhibitions at the beginning of September 2026 to prepare a completely reimagined experience, and its official FAQ says the current exhibitions will not return in their previous form. No exact reopening date had been announced by 11 Nov 2026, and tickets for the renewed museum will go on sale closer to reopening. Do not pay for an autumn 2026 interior visit.

• See it from outside: the silver torus with Arabic calligraphy is a landmark in its own right, best photographed from the plaza and lit after dark.
• Swap in Dubai Frame: the Frame gives you a museum, a viewpoint and a future gallery in one ticket, and it is open now.

Pre-closure ticket prices were reported at about AED 145 to 159 for a standard ticket, with premium options up to about AED 295, but those are not current prices, and no new price had been announced by 11 Nov 2026. When the museum reopens, check the official site for the new prices and the booking date.

Food and drink near Max station

Food near Max station is mostly simple and cheap, not fine dining. That suits a day at the Frame and the park, because you do not need a taxi to Downtown for lunch. The park and the Frame have kiosks and a small cafe for a snack and water, and the streets towards Karama and Satwa have simple eateries and cafes that serve the local neighbourhood.

• At the Frame and in the park: kiosks and a small cafe for drinks, snacks and soft serve, useful between the Frame and the park lawns.
• Towards Karama, one stop north: simple restaurants and cafes around ADCB station, with low prices and quick service.
• Towards Satwa, by bus or taxi from Max: small eateries and bakeries in a busy local area, best for a cheap, filling lunch.

No restaurant name, menu price or opening hour is stated here as fact, because food places near a station change often. Use the list above as a direction, not a review, and check a place on a map before you walk there in the heat. Carry water, use shade in the park, and eat before the walk back to Max.

A half-day plan from Max station

This half-day plan starts at Max station in the morning and ends at Garden Glow after dark. It joins the Frame, the park, the Museum of the Future photo stop and Glow into one day, with two short Metro rides and no taxi, and it leaves time for queues, heat and a meal. Times below are a guide, not a promise, and every attraction hour should be checked on the day.

1. 8:00 am, Max station: arrive at Max, walk to Zabeel Park Gate 4, and enter Dubai Frame as it opens.
2. 9:30 am, Zabeel Park: leave the Frame, walk the park lawns, take photos of the Frame from the ground, and rest in the shade.
3. 12:00 noon, lunch: eat at a park kiosk or a simple eatery towards Karama, and drink water before the afternoon heat.
4. 3:00 pm, Emirates Towers: ride two stops south from Max to Emirates Towers, walk to the Museum of the Future, and photograph the building from outside.
5. 5:00 pm, back to Max: ride back to Max, rest in the park, and enter Dubai Garden Glow at Gate 3 as the lights come on.
6. 8:00 pm, last train check: leave Glow in time for the last train from Max, and check the time in our Dubai Metro Timings guide before you go in.

To shorten the plan, drop the Emirates Towers photo stop and stay in the park until Glow, or drop Glow and end the day at the Frame. The plan works best in the cooler months, from October to April.

Practical tips for a visit from Max station

Plan for heat, walking and the last train before you set out from Max station. The Frame and the park look close on a map, but the walk, the sun and the queues add up. Buy your Frame ticket online for a timed slot, carry water, and know which gate you need before you leave the station.

• Buy the Frame ticket online before you travel, and check the price and hours on the official site.
• Use Gate 4 for the Frame, Gate 1 for a general park visit, and Gate 3 for Garden Glow.
• Travel light: large bags and strollers are left at the Gate 4 counter, and food and drink are not allowed inside the Frame.
• Carry water and sunscreen, and use shade in the park at midday.
• Check the last train from Max before an evening at Garden Glow, and leave in time for it.
• Check Glow on the day: it is seasonal, and the official site lists a Tuesday closure in summer.
• Do not walk from Max to the Museum of the Future: ride two stops to Emirates Towers instead.

Most visits go wrong for one of three reasons: the wrong gate, no water in the heat, or a missed last train after Glow. Our Fares Hub has the fare rules, and our Tourist Guide has the first time visitor basics.

What else is one stop away from Max

One stop from Max takes you to a different landmark in either direction. Max sits in the middle of a short run of Red Line stations, so a half day at the Frame can grow into a full day with one short ride. Ride north for Karama, ride south for the Trade Centre and Downtown, and keep the same ticket.

• One stop north, ADCB: Karama, with simple restaurants, shops and a busy local street life.
• One stop south, World Trade Centre: the Dubai World Trade Centre, with exhibitions and events, and the start of the Sheikh Zayed Road tower run.
• Two stops south, Emirates Towers: the Museum of the Future photo stop, and the Emirates Towers and DIFC area.
• Four stops south, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall: Downtown Dubai, with the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Fountain, for an evening after the park.

All four stops are in Zone 6, so a ride from Max to any of them stays inside one zone on a Silver card, at AED 3, or AED 6 on a QR single. See our Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall Metro Station guide for the Downtown stop, and our Dubai Airport by Metro guide if you are coming from DXB.

Frequently asked questions

Each answer starts with yes, no, or the direct fact, and all prices and hours below were checked 11 Nov 2026.

This guide was written 2026-11-11. Prices and hours were checked the same day. See also our Dubai Metro Timings guide.