The Dubai taxi fare starts at AED 5 for a daytime street-hail pickup and AED 5.5 after 10 pm, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). E-hail bookings start at AED 9, rising to AED 13 in peak windows, and airport taxis start at AED 20 for a normal car or AED 25 for a van. Dubai Taxi Company lists AED 2.45 per kilometre on top.
Several guides quote other figures. We read RTA’s taxi page and Dubai Taxi Company’s page on 14 October 2026, and this is general information, not official advice.
| Service | Starting fare |
|---|---|
| Street hail, regular, family and Hatta taxi | AED 5 from 6 am to 10 pm; AED 5.5 from 10 pm to 6 am |
| E-hail booking, regular and family taxi | AED 9 normally; AED 13 in peak windows; AED 10 overnight |
| Airport taxi | AED 20 for a normal car and AED 25 for a van, all day |
| Port Rashid | AED 25, all day |
| People of Determination taxi, street hail | AED 8 from 6 am to 10 pm; AED 9 from 10 pm to 6 am |
Dubai taxi fare: starting fares by service
RTA’s taxi fare page says fares vary with the service type, the booking channel, where the trip starts and the time of day. Its fare formula adds a base fare, a kilometre charge, waiting time, and any Sharjah, Port Rashid, DARB or Salik fee. That formula is the only fare rule the page spells out beyond its tables.
The journey is free if the meter is not running or the taxi breaks down on the way. Toll charges are billed to the passenger, so tell the driver at the start if you want to avoid them.
Taxi fare per km, waiting time and extra charges
RTA’s page lists no per-kilometre rate. Dubai Taxi Company’s page does: AED 2.45 per kilometre for street hail and for the app bookings it lists.
- The minimum fare is AED 12 for street hail. It is AED 13 for e-hail.
- Waiting time costs 50 fils a minute.
- Crossing into Sharjah adds AED 20.
- Salik gate charges are added on top.
- Hatta trips use the regular taxi fee.
Fares can also change at peak hours, at event sites and on New Year’s Eve, the company says. Payment options include cash, cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Ali Pay QR and a nol card.
E-hail peak windows
E-hail starting fares follow both the clock and the day of the week, so the AED 13 windows open and close at different hours from Monday to Thursday, on Friday and across the weekend. Check the window before you book.
- Monday to Thursday: AED 13 from 8 to 10 am and 4 to 8 pm, AED 10 from 10 pm to 6 am, otherwise AED 9.
- Friday: AED 13 from 8 to 10 am and from 4 pm to midnight, AED 10 from midnight to 6 am, otherwise AED 9.
- Saturday and Sunday: AED 13 from 4 pm to midnight, AED 10 from midnight to 6 am, otherwise AED 9.
RTA’s weekday table prints its first row as 6 am to 8 pm, which overlaps the 8 to 10 am row. Dubai Taxi Company shows 6 to 8 am, so we followed that.
A worked 10 km fare
By our arithmetic, a 10 km daytime street-hail trip comes to AED 5 plus 10 times AED 2.45, which is AED 29.50. The same distance by e-hail in a peak window is AED 13 plus the same 10 km charge, or AED 37.50. The AED 8 gap is simply the difference in starting fares.
Both sums leave out waiting time, Salik and any Sharjah charge. Real meters follow the route and the traffic, so treat them as a guide.
What riders report on Reddit
RTA publishes fares, not availability, and riders say the two do not always line up. Under an October 2025 r/dubai thread about a new taxi fare for smart apps, one reply described the peak-hour problem:
“Also it is impossible to get RTA taxis now at peak times with the apps in Marina/jbr/jlt.”
– reply in r/dubai, October 2025 (27 upvotes)
In December 2025 a newcomer warned others about detours:
“you get into a cab, share the exact location, everything’s normal… and then the driver “misses a turn” or takes a slightly longer route.”
– r/DubaiCentral, December 2025 (37 upvotes)
These are single accounts, and none comes from RTA. A top reply asked whether the meter must pause after a wrong turn, and we found no official answer. The only meter rule we found is the free-journey case above.
Where rival pages disagree with RTA and DTC
One rental-company blog lists a base fare of AED 12 to 25, a per-kilometre charge of AED 1.80 to 2.00 and an app booking fee of AED 4 to 6. None of that matches the AED 5 and 5.5 starting fares or the AED 2.45 rate on the official pages.
The Dubai Airports taxi page gives AED 25 as the airport starting fare. RTA lists AED 20 for a normal airport taxi and AED 25 for a van.
What we could not confirm
Several practical points are left open by the official pages, and we found no answer to any of the five below.
- The airport per-kilometre rate. One guide says AED 2.62, but we did not read that page.
- The Salik, DARB and Port Rashid fee amounts.
- Whether the Sharjah charge is more than AED 20 on some routes.
- Any Salik VAT. One guide says 5% from 1 June 2026, and we did not check it.
- When either fare page was last changed, because neither shows a date.
For other ways to get around, see our Dubai metro fare guide.
Quick answers on Dubai taxi fare
What is the starting fare for a Dubai taxi?
AED 5 for a daytime street-hail pickup and AED 5.5 at night, per RTA. E-hail starts at AED 9, or AED 13 in peak windows.
How much is the per-kilometre rate?
Dubai Taxi Company lists AED 2.45 per kilometre. RTA’s page does not give a rate.
How much is an airport taxi?
RTA lists AED 20 for a normal airport taxi and AED 25 for a van as the starting fare.
When is a taxi journey free?
If the meter is not in operation or the taxi breaks down during the journey, per RTA.
Last checked on 14 October 2026. Fares change, so confirm with RTA before relying on any figure.
