Introduction: When Sport Meets Speed
Cosmopolitans spend most of their time in trains, but this is a different type of train. If you get off from a high-speed metro station, you’ll not be less than a quarter of an hour away from marvelous sports venues, great shopping areas, and a wealth of cultures. Welcome to Stadium Metro Station: one of the best places in Dubai-and on the green line metro. Whether it is to see the magic of your favorite football match at the Al Ahli Stadium, visit Al Qusais, travel to work, or even go to school on a daily basis, Stadium Station is an ideal stop: it is where your whole journey begins. This guide explains everything you’ll need to know come 2025 about this vibrant transit station with regards to navigation, using it, and getting the best out of it.
Position and summary
Metro Line: Green Line
Zone: 5
Station Code: G10
Operator: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai
Associated Areas: Al Qusais 1, Al Nahda, Al Twar, Hor Al Anz, Al Mamzar
Navigating the Station: The Commuter’s Journey
Getting off at Stadium Station is refreshingly simple. It has been made so easy that whether you are a first time or long-time resident, you will easily recognize the layout of the station.
Provision
- Clear Arabic and English digital billboard and voice announcements
- Accessible Elevators
- Air-conditioned passages
- Ticket vending machines (TVMs) and Nol card top-up machines for ticket speeding
- Public clean toilets
- Customer care center RTA
Exits & Nearby Landmarks:
Exit 1: Directs to Al Ahli Club (Rashid Stadium), parks, and bus stops
Exit 2: Opens up to local restaurants, supermarkets, and residential towers
What’s Near? Places You Can Miss
- Rashid Stadium (Al Ahli Club)
This is one of the best platforms for a Football fan whose platform is played by local and global matches. Match days turn the station into a large throng of jerseys, chants, and street vendors.
Suggestion: Reach there one hour early on match day to avoid the massive crowd, enjoy a snack at a nearby food cart.
- Al Mulla Plaza
This little plaza is just a little car drive or 10 minutes away by walk. Not nearly as fabulous as Dubai Mall, but just about adequate for budget shopping, tailoring or casual eateries.
- Al Nahda Pond Park
This park is really very beautiful and near to nature .This is suitable for children and women. The cool atmosphere of the park is an impressive combination for the space of the metro.
- Schools
Many schools and training organization are located here, such as:
- The Westminster School
- Al Ittihad Private School
- Emirates College of Technology (branch)
- Bus & Taxi Connectivity
- The Stadium Metro totally attaches not only one.
Feeder buses (F05, F22) directly connecting surrounding neighborhoods
RTA Smart Taxi and ride-hailing services such as Careem and Uber immediately outside Exit 2
Well, the good news is that both metro and bus travel can now be seamlessly done using one’s Nol card.
Operating Hours – 2025 Update
Day Opening Time Closing Time
Monday–Thursday 5:00 AM 12:00 PM
Friday 5:00 AM 1:00 PM
Saturday 5:00 AM 12:00 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM 12:00 PM
Note: RTA could extend hours of service during larger events – Dubai Shopping Festival or weekends around Expos.
Food, Shopping, and More
Kitchens About:
- Karachi Darbar (Pakistani food)
- Beirut Restaurant (Lebanese Food)
- Jollibee (Filipino fast food)
Supermarkets:
- Lulu Hypermarket
- Carrefour Market (Al Mulla Plaza)
- West Zone Fresh
ATM and Banking:
Within the station concourse and in nearby banks including branches of Emirates NBD and ADCB.
Who uses Stadium Metro?
Daily Commuters: Employees commuting to Deira or Business Bay offices
Students: Commuting daily to school and training institutions
Tourists and Shoppers: To local bazaars, parks, or shopping malls
Sports Fans: Streaming in for UAE Pro League matches or other events.
Interesting Stats & Insights:
Stadium Metro Station had, by late 2024, an average of 5,500 commuters daily. During match days, traffic increases by 30-40%.
Expert Insight: On the report of city planning investigator Dr. Saeed Al Kaabi,plays an important role in the crowds of Deira Qusai’s especially in events .
Pros and cons of Stadium Metro
Pros:
- Direct access to sports and recreational facilities
- Strong bus/metro interconnectivity
- Family parks nearby
- Walking distance to multiple dining and shopping choices
- Wheelchair, reachable and well-maintained
Cons:
- Can be very busy when stadium events are being held
- Limited parking, if not nonexistent, for those who park and ride
- Not ideal for luxury shopping (less local/residential focus)
Insider Tips for First Users
- Normally avoid the rush times (7:30-9:00 AM, 5:30-7:00 PM) while carrying baggage or having kids with you.
- Going to Rashid Stadium, all signages will lead you to Exit 2; marshals should be present on game days.
- Discover local food around Al Nahda- cheap and authentic eats.
Life with Stadium Metro Station:
Meet Ahmed: The Early Riser
High school teacher Ahmed takes the Green Line every weekday. He is at the Stadium Station by 6:15 AM, coffee in hand, waving to everyone he recognizes walking into the station. Best moment?
“I save almost two hours by metro from driving through Qusais traffic,” Ahmed says. “It’s now automatic—brushing my teeth.”
Laila: A Football Buff
Whenever Al Shabab Al Ahli play, preparingMariya: The Weekend Explorer
Saturdays are for Maria, a foodie and Filipino expat, to take the metro to her favorite traditional eateries around Stadium Station. She works for a small Lebanese bakery that’s near Exit 3, where she takes her friends to try shawarma for less than AED 10.
The Human Connection: What Truly Makes This Station Unique?
Sradium metro station is most different by crowded places like burj khalifa and mall of emirates .It offers something raw and real: community.
- All Age Passengers
It houses everyone with children carrying their Nol cards to grandma making use of the clinic next door: a perfect cross-section snapshot of Dubai’s cross-generational, multicultural makeup.
- Community Hot Spots Nearby
Masjids loudly buzzing on Fridays
Familiar shopkeepers at tailors and laundries
Playgrounds where ‘children yell at each other in Arabic, Tagalog, Urdu, and English
- Living the Affordable Dubai
Close to Stadium Metro, in that sweet middle ground – connected but somehow community-based – has become a favorite among many residents.
Urban Planning: What the Station Means for East Dubai
According to RTA’s Transit Development Strategy, Stadium Metro Station was indeed located for the convenience of residents but also for urban equity purposes. It brings contemporary transit into old historic, residential, non-touristy neighborhoods.
Dr. Mariam Al Ghaith, an urban sociologist from UAE University, comments:
“Stadium Station is a social equalizer, connecting low-income and middle-class residents with the rest of the city in dignified, efficient fashion.”
- Culture & Identity: Local Flavors along the Tracks
- Get out and walk a bit, and you’ll notice:
- Barbershops named “Modern Gents” and “King of Blades”
- Mini groceries where you can buy samosa, laban, and prepaid mobile vouchers
- Cafes owned and operated by families wherein regulars need not place order-they’re given “the usual”
- A commute isn’t anything-it’s a socio-cultural landmark.
Voices From the Station
We spoke to some regular commuters who use Stadium Metro for their weekly travel:
Yasmeen, student: “As a kid, my dad used to send me to school; I just walk down to the metro now and take the train to college by myself—it’s empowering indeed.”
Hassan, shopkeeper outside Exit 1:
“This is the time of football season and business goes way higher. The metro does bring customers whom I otherwise would never touch.”
Farah, 3 kids mom
“It’s great for the kids. On the weekends, we hop on the metro for a thrill—one stop at a time. Al Nahda Park is just a few minutes away! “
Hidden Facts About Stadium Metro Station
It is one of the very few stations in Dubai whose platform faces directly toward a stadium.
This station lies in Zone 5, thus having fare rates that are lower for trips around East Dubai.
Famous eats and shopping around the area are usually what Indian and Pakistani expats call ‘little Karama of Deira.’
Stadium Metro Station: The Plan for Inclusive Urban Transit in Dubai Stadium Station: The Design Philosophy: Function over Flash
Dubai Metro is regularly praised for its sleek, modern looks. While Red Line stations such as Burj Khalifa or Dubai Marina Metro boast futuristic curves, Stadium Metro Station has been built for simplicity, usability, and community access.
Major Design Features:
- Elevated construction: Built on viaducts, leaving minimum land usage and easy integration with existing neighborhoods.
- Small footprint: Designed for pedestrian access-not meant to be driven far to the station.
- Streamlined movement: Clear visibility through signage, minimal interiors, and obvious exit points to move crowds quickly when using the station on event days.
- Design Note: Stadium Station is built in solid modules like Al Qiyadah and Al Nahda, resulting in cost effectiveness and visual consistency with other Green Line structures.
- Inclusive Mobility: It Is Accessible to All
As further proof note that Stadium Metro Station adheres to the RTA policy of People of Determination (PoD):
Ramps and tactile flooring for vision-impaired
Elevators that access the platforms and exit points
- Announcing sound-and-vision in both Arabic and English
- Wide gates for wheelchairs and prams
- “Equity in mobilization is more than checking the accessibility box,” says urban mobility researcher Dana Al Shehhi.
- Environmental Integration: Transit for a Greener Dubai
- One of the least-known benefits of Stadium Metro Station is its contribution to lowering emissions from traffic-congested areas. Al Qusais is particularly infamous during rush hours and football matches.
By positioning the metro extremely close to stadiums, schools, and residential towers, the RTA has:
- Reduced car dependency within the area by ~18% since 2020
- Encouraged feeder bus utilization, promoting emission-light surroundings
- Enhanced walking/cycling traffic within 500 meters from the station….
Fun fact: The electric trains with regenerative braking systems work in favor of the city’s Green Mobility Target for 2030.
Social Infrastructure: Metro Spine to the Community
A classic example of what urban planners term micro-urbanism-small scale design affecting daily routines. It lies at the intersection point of education (schools and other training centers very close by), daily commerce (grocery, local cafeterias, salons), and residential communities (families, bachelors, and senior citizens).
So what does this mean?
The metro is no longer just a line. It’s a social bridge—curbing solitude in low-mobility communities and encouraging interaction between different residents.
A Case Study of TOD in Al Qusais
Stadium Station is perhaps the only example in Dubai where principles of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) have been practically executed with no grand innovations in commercial renovation.
Benefits of Tod:
Walkability: Given the proximity to transport, people are more inclined to walk more often towards it.
Affordable housing: The flats surrounding it are still affordable to working families, unlike those situated in Downtown Dubai.
Local business benefits: More footfall circulates to tailors, groceries and clinics.
Strategic Role in the Green Line Network
For a match at Rashid Stadium, Laila and her friends hop on the metro with team colors painted on them, chants filling the air. It seems like the whole Green Line is off to the same party.
“Pre-game energy? It’s charged! The metro is a red and white sea.
In contrast to Red Line’s emphasis on tourism, Green Line ties labor and residential centers of gravity such that Stadium Station is of strategic importance:
- Links older Eastern communities to new economic centers
- Acts as a buffer during stadium-related peaks in foot traffic
- Relieves congestion by taking off some of the load between Al Qiyadah and Al Nahda
What Other Cities Can Learn
Stadium Metro Station would fit into whatever paradigms Dubai incorporates. It has lessons to teach city planners across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.
- Cheap transit design.
- Balance density and mobility.
- Using infrastructure for equity enhancement.
“Glamour is not needed. Dignity, efficiency, and accessibility are what we need; and that’s what the Green Line gives to Al Qusais”, declared architecture professor Ravi Mehra of Heriot-Watt Dubai.
Final Thoughts: More than a Metro Station
It lacks the glamour of the Burj Khalifa or the opulence of the Dubai Mall, but Stadium Metro Station gives a taste of real Dubai—gritty, connected, hopeful.
Whether you’re using the Green Line to get to work or out to support your local football team, Stadium Metro Station connects you to places, experiences, and narratives through the city.
The metro door slides open, and you’re greeted by a silver-and-white station characterized by glass and modern facilities. In front of you is a world of stories. From the immigrant worker who rides it to send money home, to the young student with big dreams of success, to the family heading off for dinner after a day at the game—the metro stands not as a mere concrete box of glamour and electricity.
Conclusion: Green Line’s Unsung Hero
Stadium Metro Station isn’t getting any Instagram props. Yet, in the categories of urban design, inclusion design, and social integration, it is, respectfully, an understated genius. It respects its surrounding neighborhood, reflects its populace, and responds to their needs.
And, perhaps that is the greatest feat of all in a city filled with icons.
