Dubai taxi fares 2026: starting fares, per km rate and rush hours

A taxi you stop on a Dubai street starts at AED 5 between 6am and 10pm and AED 5.5 between 10pm and 6am, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). Every kilometre then costs AED 2.19, and the minimum fare is AED 12. A taxi booked through an app starts higher, at AED 9, AED 10 or AED 13 depending on the day and the hour, with a minimum fare of AED 13. Taxis from Dubai's airports start at AED 20.

How the fare is worked out

RTA's formula is: starting fare, plus the kilometre charge, plus waiting time, plus any fee for entering Sharjah, the Port Rashid area or Abu Dhabi's Darb toll, plus Salik toll gates. Waiting costs 50 fils a minute in every type of taxi. A trip that passes through Sharjah costs an extra AED 20. Salik gate charges are added to your fare; RTA says you can tell the driver at the start of the trip if you want to avoid them. RTA does not publish the Darb amount on its fare page. Fares can also change at peak hours, at event locations and at New Year's Eve event locations.

Street pickup

Regular, Family and Hatta taxis start at AED 5 from 6am to 10pm and AED 5.5 from 10pm to 6am, every day. A People of Determination taxi starts at AED 8 from 6am to 10pm and AED 9 from 10pm to 6am.

Booking through an app

These starting fares apply to Regular and Family taxis booked through RTA's authorised apps.

Monday to Thursday: AED 13 from 8am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm; AED 10 from 10pm to 6am; AED 9 at all other times (6am to 8am, 10am to 4pm and 8pm to 10pm).

Friday: AED 9 from 6am to 8am, AED 13 from 8am to 10am, AED 9 from 10am to 4pm, AED 13 from 4pm to midnight and AED 10 from midnight to 6am.

Saturday and Sunday: AED 9 from 6am to 4pm, AED 13 from 4pm to midnight and AED 10 from midnight to 6am.

RTA's own app for booking is S'hail; its partner apps include Bolt.

Airports and Port Rashid

At Dubai International (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Al Maktoum International, follow the taxi signs to the queue in the arrivals area. Airport, People of Determination, Family and Female taxis start at AED 20 all day, or AED 25 for a van. Trips from Port Rashid start at AED 25 all day.

Rush hours

RTA lists rush hours as 8am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm from Monday to Thursday, 8am to 10am and 4pm to midnight on Friday, and 4pm to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.

Paying and the rules in the car

You can pay by cash, credit card, nol card, Careem Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Alipay, QR code or American Express. The ride is free if the meter is not running or if the taxi breaks down during the trip. Seat belts are compulsory for every passenger, the cars have CCTV, and eating, drinking, smoking and pets are not allowed.

Types of taxi

Besides the regular taxi, RTA runs Family, Female, People of Determination and airport taxis, and Safe Hands taxis with specially trained drivers. Dubai taxis can take you anywhere in Dubai or from Dubai to another emirate, but they do not cover trips that start in another emirate.

Common questions

Can I share a taxi with someone going somewhere else? Yes, RTA allows it. Can I make several stops? Yes, and the driver cannot restart the meter between them.

What if I leave something in the taxi? Report it in the S'hail app. If you booked through S'hail, go to My Trips, then History of taxi bookings, then Report a Lost Item. If you took the taxi another way, go to More, then Feedback, choose Taxi Lost & Found and give the roof colour, pickup and drop-off places and date, fare and payment method, a description of the item, and the booking number and plate number if you have them.