As of 1 October 2026: a ticket on Dubai’s Abra, Water Taxi, or Ferry costs anywhere from AED 1 to AED 75 per person depending on the route and vessel, read directly from RTA’s own fare and timetable pages. Chartering an entire vessel for a private trip runs on a completely different scale, from AED 300 an hour up to AED 2,800.
What makes up Dubai marine transport fares in the first place?
RTA runs three distinct services under Transport Using Marine Vessels: the Dubai Abra, the traditional wooden boat crossing Dubai Creek on short fixed routes; the Dubai Water Taxi, a faster, more direct point-to-point service along the Marina and Bluewaters; and the Dubai Ferry, the largest of the three, running longer scenic routes including a round trip past Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis, and even a cross-border route to Sharjah Aquarium.
How many routes does each vessel type actually cover?
The Abra network is the densest of the three, covering routes such as Dubai Old Souq to Al Sabkha, Al Fahidi to Deira Old Souq, and a combined Al Seef to Al Fahidi to Dubai Old Souq route, several running on-demand rather than a fixed timetable. The Water Taxi runs a smaller set of Marina-focused routes, while the Ferry’s routes lean toward tourism and scenery, including one connecting Al Jaddaf and Dubai Festival City to Dubai Creek Harbour.
How much does an ordinary ticket actually cost?
RTA states fares vary by route, ranging between AED 1 and AED 75 per person. The Abra, Dubai’s cheapest and most iconic crossing, covers short Creek routes like Bur Dubai to Deira Old Souq, Al Sabkha to Al Fahidi, and Al Seef to Baniyas. The Water Taxi covers Marina-area routes such as Dubai Marina Mall to Marina Walk and Dubai Marina Mall South to Bluewaters. The Ferry covers the longest routes, including Dubai Water Canal to Al Ghubaiba and the round-trip Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis route.
How does booking and boarding actually work?
Tickets book instantly through RTA’s website: select the area, mode of transport, and route, choose the number of tickets, pay online, and receive the ticket by email. That ticket then has to be shown to the deckhand both before boarding and after arrival to be validated. Travel time itself depends on the specific departure and arrival schedule for that route rather than running on demand.
What if I want to charter an entire vessel instead?
RTA runs a separate charter service for private use, priced per hour rather than per ticket: an Abra charters for AED 300 or AED 580 an hour depending on the option chosen, carrying up to 20 passengers including a wheelchair user. A Water Taxi charters for AED 400 an hour, also up to 20 passengers. A full Dubai Ferry charter costs AED 2,800 an hour, with a 100-seat capacity split into a 14-seat Gold Class and an 84-seat Silver Class, plus two dedicated wheelchair spaces. That per-hour pricing makes a charter a realistic option for a group event, a family celebration, or a corporate outing, rather than something reserved purely for luxury tourism, since splitting the AED 300 Abra rate across even a handful of passengers lands well below what a private tour operator typically charges for the same stretch of water.
How does this fit alongside Dubai’s other public transport?
Our Dubai Metro and Nol card guide covers the Metro, tram, and bus network these marine routes connect into, and our Dubai Bus on Demand guide covers RTA’s other flexible, non-fixed-route option. Marine transport fills a specific gap neither of those covers: crossing the Creek or the Marina water directly, or simply enjoying the coastline as a scenic trip rather than a point-to-point commute. Anyone also moving a vehicle around Dubai alongside using these services should check our Dubai plate number transfer guide, a separate RTA process entirely but run through the same authority and the same online account structure.
What is the short version?
Dubai’s Abra, Water Taxi, and Ferry services cost AED 1 to AED 75 per person depending on route and vessel, booked instantly through RTA’s website and validated by the deckhand on boarding. Chartering an entire vessel instead runs AED 300 to AED 580 an hour for an Abra, AED 400 for a Water Taxi, and AED 2,800 for a full Dubai Ferry with Gold and Silver class seating.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: RTA, Transport Using Marine Vessels.
