It won’t take you long once you get to Dubai to realize that getting around without a taxi would be very difficult. Dubai is primarily a taxi city with very little public transportation and extremely high street temperatures. Fortunately, it’s very simple to find a taxi in Dubai, and riding in one is very comfortable. You can hail a taxi in Dubai from the street, book an airport transfer, or walk to one of the 50 authorized taxi ranks and book the first available vehicle. The Dubai Taxi Corporation operates all of its vehicles under government licenses, and they are fully air-conditioned, reasonably priced, and employ approved taximeters. Taking a Dubai taxi is the best option if you are looking for a simple, enjoyable, and secure way to explore the city.

Base Fare: €2
Minimum Rate/km: 0.45 euros

Dubai Taxi Fare

City’s Standard Fare- 6€

For trips within the city, taxis in Dubai don’t have constant rates; instead, they use a taximeter that is subject to government regulation and is based on distance. Depending on where you are and what time of day you are traveling, the base fare for a taxi in Dubai varies, but the fare per kilometer remains constant.

Always 0.45€ (1.82 AED) is charged per mile.
The base fare is 2€ (8 AED) from 6:00 to 22:00
The base fare is 2.20€ (9 AED) between 22:00 and 6:00.

The base fare will rise to 2.90€ (12 AED) if you ask the hotel concierge to call a cab for you, but unlike most other major cities, the cost per kilometer stays the same at 0.45€ (1.82 AED).

An additional fee of 6€ (25 AED) will be applied if you keep your taxi waiting for an additional hour.

Get a Taxi in Dubai: Where to Go

You shouldn’t have to wait around in the heat for very long because there are many taxis driving around Dubai due to the high demand waiting to pick up their next customers. Dubai’s taxis are all the same, with a cream body and the company’s logo on the door. However, various businesses have variously colored roofs, including one called Ladies Taxi which is exclusively for women and has a vivid pink roof. Make sure to look for the official logo and that the ‘TAXI’ sign on the roof is lit when hailing a taxi in Dubai from the street; if it is, the taxi is free.

You can go to the closest taxi rank and take the first car in line if you don’t want to wait outside in the heat for a taxi to come by. Although there are more than 50 official taxi ranks located throughout Dubai, the most important ones can be found outside of the city’s most important transportation and shopping centers, including Al Hamriya Shopping Centre, Dubai Grand Hotel, Uptown Center, and Al Sabkha Bus Station.

It’s important to note that few taxi drivers in Dubai are able to speak English, and they frequently have no idea what the names of the streets in the city are. Instead, they will locate your destination based on the nearby landmarks, so you might want to do some research prior to boarding a taxi.

Reserve your Dubai Taxi Transfer in Advance

You have a choice between pre-booking your Dubai transfer through a private company, like LimoFahr or using a local Dubai Taxi Corporation vehicle. A local taxi company will apply a 2€ (8 AED) daytime surcharge and a 2.90€ (12 AED) peak-hour surcharge when you make a reservation. Afterward, the operators calculate the charges depending on the distance at the customary per-kilometer rate.

You can reserve through a private transfer service like Dubai Airport Transfer 24 if you’d prefer to have a fixed-rate Dubai transfer and know exactly how much it will cost. Not only will you avoid any additional fees, but all of their drivers are native English speakers, so there won’t be any misunderstandings.

Taxi Tips in Dubai

• In Dubai, tipping your taxi driver is optional but always appreciated. Giving an extra 5 or 10 AED will be a great tip if you had a good trip.
• Since taxi drivers typically don’t carry a lot of change with them, make sure to bring small bills with you.
• Taxis in Dubai accept most major credit cards.
• Since South Asian immigrants make up the majority of Dubai’s taxi drivers, they don’t know the city’s roads well or speak much English. Look up the closest landmark before your trip; it’s customary for your driver to use it to determine your destination.
• Before you start your trip, double-check that your driver has set the taximeter to the appropriate base fare.
• Women can ride in taxis in Dubai without fear, but they should only sit in the back seat because the front seat is more likely to be misapprehended.
• There are taxi services that only employ women as drivers; these are known as Ladies Taxis and have pink roofs.
• Baby seats are not provided by Dubai Taxis by default, so make sure to bring your own.

Wheelchair Accessibility in Taxis in Dubai

Early in 2019, the Dubai Taxi Corporation launched the Al Khair Ride program, which offers free rides to those with disabilities. Due to specialized ramps and chair lifts, every vehicle in the Al Khair Ride fleet is fully furnished and wheelchair accessible. The drivers have all received training to assist people with disabilities, ensuring the safety of all passengers who are handicapped.