Whether you’re coming by Metro, bus, taxi or car, visiting the Expo 2020 Dubai site couldn’t be simpler. The Expo’s three main entrances are a 20-minute drive from Dubai Marina while the Metro’s Route 2020 takes you directly to Expo 2020. If you have specific accessibility needs, there is dedicated accessibility for transportation and parking page.
Dubai has launched a free bus ride service for visitors to the Expo 2020 Dubai site. The emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled the free service from nine locations in the city and another nine locations outside of it. More than 203 Expo Riders buses will transport visitors from these locations.
In Dubai, in addition to the 126 Expo Riders, buses on two routes will pick up visitors directly from hotels to the Expo site and nine stations across the UAE. The free Riders will undertake between 455 and 476 daily journeys while the buses will make 287 daily trips during weekdays and 358 during Thursdays and Fridays.
Where are the Expo pick-up bus stations located?
Visiting the Expo 2020 site couldn’t be simpler. Just hop on for free bus rides from nine locations in Dubai, three in Abu Dhabi, two in Sharjah and one each in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Al Ain. The RTA has deployed 77 buses to pick up visitors from non-Dubai locations.
The nine pick-up locations in Dubai are:
Al Baraha
Al Ghubaiba
Dubai International Airport (Terminal 3)
Dubai Mall
Dubai Silicon Oasis
Etisalat
Global Village
International City
Palm Jumeirah
The three stations in Abu Dhabi are:
- Abu Dhabi International Airport
- Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station
- Marina Mall Station
The two stations in Sharjah are:
- Al Jubail Bus Station
- Muwaileh Bus station
The four stations in other cities are:
- Ajman Bus Station
- Al Ain Bus Station
- Fujairah Bus Station (near City Centre Fujairah)
- Ras Al Khaimah Bus Station
It’s a long way to the Expo site… are buses comfortable?
Yes, of course! The transit service features buses of high-quality, safety and luxury standards. Buses have comfortable seats and are compatible with Euro 6 low-carbon emission standards. Buses have low floors for hassle-free boarding and disembarkation, even for the People of Determination (disabilities).
Buses are designed to deliver premium services to mass transit riders thanks to the high-class finishing works. By deploying the high-quality buses in wider geographical coverage, the RTA has made mass transit means the ideal choice of mobility for Expo visitors.
Can I travel to the Expo 2020 Dubai site by taxi?
Of course, you can! Taxi and e-hail services are running round the clock. Dubai has thousands of taxis and car hire services that you can use. There are around 15,000 taxis and limousines spread across Dubai, including 9,710 taxicabs and 5,681 limousines, which can be booked through RTA’s e-hail services that run 24X7.
The RTA has ramped up the entire Dubai Taxi fleet with the Hala e-hailing service by collaborating with all of its franchise partners. Taxis will be automatically dispatched to Expo 2020 Dubai site based on passenger demand.
The RTA has launched the ‘Auto Dispatch’ system which will allow it to “know exactly how many taxis are needed at any given time and automatically dispatch the cabs to the Expo site”.
Hala is a joint venture between RTA and Careem that enables customers to book any taxi in Dubai via an app developed in-house by Careem. You may book a taxi by phone:
- Dubai Taxi (wheelchair accessible taxis on request) (red roof): +971 800 88 088
- Arabia Taxi (green roof): +971 800 272 242
- Cars Taxi (blue roof): +971 800 227 789
- Metro Taxi (orange roof): +971 600 56 000
- National Taxi (yellow roof): +971 600 543 322
A simpler way will be to download the Careem, Uber or S’hail app. Through the Careem app, you can also book ‘Hala Taxi’, which is Dubai’s most affordable taxi. Do note that there is a flat starting fee of Dh20 for taxi rides originating from the Expo site.
Driving to Expo: Free parking, shuttles
For visiting the Expo 2020 Dubai site, public transport is advisable, but there’s ample parking available for those who prefer a private car. If you decide to take your own car, parking is free of charge. There are four parking zones:
- Opportunity parking zone (from the E77 Expo Road)
- Sustainability parking zone (from the E77 Expo Road or D54 Zayed bin Hamdan al Nahyan)
- Mobility parking zone (from the E311 Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road)
- Dubai Exhibition Centre parking zone (from the E311 Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road)
Entry is from 8.30am to 11pm Saturday to Wednesday, and 8.30am to 1am Thursday to Friday (and special days). Paid valet parking is also available on a first-come, first-served basis (Dh95).
If you purchase a ticket with valet parking vouchers, you can use that instead of paying.
Depending on where you park, the parking area can be up to a couple of kilometres away. That’s no cause for an alarm, though. Standard parking shuttles operate from all car parks so one doesn’t need to walk more than 600m from their vehicle to one of the gates (Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability). Shuttles operate on a high-frequency basis while the parking zones are open.
Oh, and if you drive a Nissan, you can park closer to the gate at the Nissan parking area, located in both the Sustainability and Mobility parking zones. Spots are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
What if I get tired? I heard there are golf buggies…
Yes, there are options for families, people of determination and the general public. Free Expo People Movers are on-site to transport visitors around the main locations of the Expo 2020 site on high-frequency buses. All buses are accessible for families with strollers and people of determination.
A limited number of golf buggies are available for hire, too. The buggies can seat an entire family (some are wheelchair accessible) and are driven by a trained driver. You may also go on a unique sightseeing tour on the Expo Explorer train (accessible for wheelchair users).
Expo Riders and Expo People Movers operate from 06:30am until 90 minutes after the closure of Expo Gates. The Expo Parking Shuttle starts service at 9am until 90 minutes after the closure of the Expo Gates.
Is Metro really the best way to travel to the Expo site?
If you are in Dubai, there’s n
o better way for visiting the Expo 2020 Dubai site than the Metro. You might have seen a video tweeted by the RTA of the Dubai Crown Prince taking the Metro to reach the Expo site. earlier, there were pictures of senior Dubai officials taking the train for the Expo 2020 Opening Ceremony. They drive the best of cars, BTW, but preferred the Metro for its sheer convenience.
Route 2020 on the Metro’s Red Line links the Jebel Ali station (previously known as Nakheel Harbour and Tower) with Expo 2020. Route 2020 is a 15km extension to the Dubai Metro that passes through communities such as Discovery Gardens and Dubai Investments Park. Situated at one of the four entrances to the Expo, the Expo 2020 Station provides direct access to Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo 2020 Dubai.
Al Wasl Plaza, the beating heart of Expo 2020, is also only a short walk away, making this the ideal transportation option for Expo visitors.
The Expo 2020 Station can accommodate a peak of 22,000 passengers per hour in each direction. All four stations on Route 2020 are elevated stations.
The Metro is expected to ferry about 29 per cent of the total expected number of daily visitors to Expo. The Red Line provides an uninterrupted route from Rashidiya Station all the way to the Expo 2020 station without the need to switch trains.
Be the first to write a comment.
Your feedback
