Dubai Metro, tram and bus riders can now travel with a QR code ticket
The RTA has added QR code tickets, bought in the nol Pay or S'hail app, as a phone-based alternative to the paper red nol ticket.
DubaiDubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said on Friday that passengers can now use a QR code on their phone to ride the Metro, the tram and public buses. The option replaces the paper red nol ticket, which is meant for occasional riders and visitors, and fares still depend on the number of zones travelled.
To buy one, open the nol Pay or S'hail app, choose a single trip or a one-day pass, pick the zone or destination and pay. The code appears in the app straight away. On the Metro it is scanned at the blue entry gates; on buses, riders hold the phone over the red nol reader by the door.
Riders must scan when they enter and when they leave, and keep the ticket open during transfers. Unused tickets stay valid for 90 days from purchase, while a one-day pass ends at midnight on the day it is first used, not 24 hours later.
The step comes ahead of the wider upgrade of the nol system, which the RTA plans to bring in during early 2027 with payment by bank card and digital wallet.
