The taxi in Dubai is an ideal way of transport to discover the many spots in the city, or to travel from the metro station to your final destination. Taxis in Dubai are a commonly used for travel. This is mainly because of the low rates you pay in the taxi, the starting rate is around 6 dirhams and after that you pay 1.75 dirhams per kilometre.
Taxis rates in Dubai
All taxis in Dubai with the cream color have a fixed rate which is set by the Dubai Taxi. The minimum fare for a ride is AED 10. The starting rate from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM is AED 5. The starting rate from 10:00 AM to 6:00 AM is AED 6. The kilometer price of the taxis is AED 2.19. These prices may now be outdated due to a price increase, so always check the information sign in the taxi for the most current Dubai taxi rates. In case you have reserved a taxi, you will be charged AED 10. If you took a taxi at the airport, there is a starting rate of AED 25 and you will be charged AED 2.19 per kilometer.
Since Dubai has an excellent metro network, this is the best way to cover the very large stretches. You can then cover the last part by taxi or on foot. Such rides generally cost between 15 and 40 Dirham. If the driver forgets to turn on the meter, the ride is free. If you travel to Dubai International Airport, the surrounding emirates of Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, a surcharge of AED 20 will be charged on top of the fare. Prices exclude AED 4 toll charges. You can pay in taxis in Dubai with cash, debit card, credit card, smartphone with Apple Pay or Samsung Pay and even the NOL card is accepted in the taxi.
Colors of the taxis in Dubai
The taxis in Dubai are easily recognizable by their cream color and a colored roof or by a cream/white car with blue doors and roof, the Hala Taxis. The taxis that drive around Dubai all have a well-trained English-speaking driver and all have a meter + GPS system and not unimportantly air conditioning. In total, there are more than 3500 taxis in Dubai which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to the standard hatchback taxi, there are also various MPV vans driving around Dubai, which are particularly suitable for a larger group of people. The hatchback taxi is ideal for groups of up to 4 people plus luggage.
All cream taxis are regulated by Dubai’s national taxi company RTA (Roads & Transport Authority) also known as Dubai Taxi, and all charge the same fare. The color of the roof only indicates which taxi company owns the taxi. In Dubai there are several taxi companies, all of which are supervised by the government. So you don’t have to worry about accidentally getting into a taxi that has different rates or rules.
The taxi with a pink rook are not allowed for a man, this is a special lady & family taxi and is specially reserved for Woman and families.
The following taxi companies operate in Dubai:
- Red roof taxis: Dubai Taxi (owned by RTA).
- Taxis with a pink roof: Ladies Taxi (owned by RTA).
- Taxis with a yellow roof: National Taxi
- Taxis with a blue roof: Cars Taxi
- Taxis with a green roof: Arabia Taxi
- Taxis with a white roof: City Taxi
- Taxis with a gold roof: Hatta Taxi
At hotels you will often find white or black taxis that are advertised by a person at the entrance. These are private taxis that are not supervised by the RTA (Dubai Taxi) and are therefore often a lot more expensive in terms of rates than the standard cream-colored taxis. The advantage is that these taxis are more luxurious than normal taxis. Often the more expensive Lexus models are used for this. Sometimes the hotel has made agreements with the taxi drivers and you can travel for the same rate as the standard taxis. Make sure you ask in advance what the rate is, so that you are not confronted with high costs afterwards.
Dubai Limousine taxi service
The national taxi company of Dubai RTA also has its own luxury taxi department called DTC Limousine Service. Here you can book taxis where you will be driven around in a luxury car such as a Tesla, Lexus or Infiniti by a professional and well-groomed driver. Especially for women there is the Ameera Limousine taxi where the driver is a woman and where you are also driven around in a luxury car.
Book a taxi in Dubai
Taxis are easy to hail. If you need a taxi in Dubai, all you have to do is raise your hand when you see a taxi and the driver will stop for you if he doesn’t have any customers. You can recognize a taxi that is occupied by the red lights on the roof, if they are lit the taxi is not available. It is also common for taxis to drive by honking their horns while you are walking down the street. These taxis are empty and the driver is looking for new customers. If you give a gesture, the taxi will stop for you and you can get in and let them know where you want to go.
Beside that, it is also possible to book a taxi with the app. You can use the official Dubai Taxi Cooporation (DTC) app which you can download via this link for Android and via this link for Apple IOS. You can also book a taxi in Dubai via the Uber or the Careem app. Careem is the most used taxi app in Dubai and is a major competitor of the well-known Uber app. Careem can be used to book a “Hala Taxi”, Rent a car or for a food delivered to your home. Through the app you can indicate where you are and where you want to go. The app will then automatically search for a taxi nearby, show you what the price will be and link you to an available taxi if you agree. Then you can see exactly where the taxi is, you get its license plate so that you can recognize the taxi and you can see how long it will take before the taxi gets to you.
Please note, in some areas in Dubai, such as at Kite Beach, taxis only run on reservations via the Careem app during weekends and busy times. It is then virtually impossible to hail a taxi if you have not made a reservation via the app. Are you unable to book a normal taxi via the Careem app because it keeps indicating that it is busy and no taxi can be found? Then it is advisable to choose the more luxurious taxi option, often these are Lexus taxis. These are often still available and cost only a few euros more than a normal taxi.
Taxi ranks in Dubai
At the various shopping malls, metro stations and places of interest, special taxi positions have been set up where all taxis come together. Especially at the shopping malls it can be quite busy at these taxi ranks, here they work with a waiting line, and everyone is assigned a taxi in an orderly manner. Tip, to avoid long waits, you can also walk away from the shopping malls or the attraction and hail a taxi there. Make sure you do this on the side where the empty taxis join the queue, if you stand on the wrong side then almost all taxis are occupied as they come from the taxi rank here.
Travelling with small children in the taxi – child seat in Dubai taxi
Are you traveling with small children in Dubai and want to take a taxi? Keep in mind that not all taxis have special child seats. In total, Dubai Taxi (RTA) has 150 Hala taxis that are equipped with a child seat that children up to four years old can safely sit in. These taxis are also known as Halo Juniors. Do you want to make sure you have a taxi with a car seat for your child? Then it’s best to book your taxi via the Uber or Careem app. At Careem, if available, you can opt for a Hala Juniors taxi. These taxis are equipped with 1 child seat, unfortunately there are no taxis in Dubai that have more than 1 child seat. A Hala Juniors taxi has a surcharge of 5 AED on top of the standard price of a taxi.
If you’re using the Uber app, you can choose UberFamily or Family from the product list after you’ve entered the address. Then you will get a taxi that is equipped with a child seat. At Uber, you will be charged an additional 10 AED for a Dubai taxi with a child seat.
Taxi from Dubai Airport – Dubai airport taxi
Do you want to book a taxi from Dubai International Airport or Al Maktoum International Airport to travel to your hotel, apartment or house in Dubai? On the website Taxi2Airport you can book a taxi cheaply and quickly from the airport in Dubai. By booking your taxi in advance, you can be sure of a taxi when you arrive at the airport in Dubai and you have no chance of unexpected costs or long waiting times.
