Satwa Bus Station is one of the major bus stations in Dubai, which is located in one of the well-established inner-city areas of Dubai. It serves to link passengers to the main areas such as Dubai International Airport, Deira, Union, International City, and Jumeirah. There are several RTA bus lines that serve the station, which is beneficial for commuters, residents, and tourists. It has facilities like passenger waiting areas, Nol card machines, information displays, and taxi access. Bus route numbers and times may change over time as RTA continually updates its bus network. This article provides the most up-to-date information regarding routes, timings, fares, location, and facilities. 

Satwa Bus Station at a Glance

According to RTA, the station has an area of around 11,912 square meters and is designed for 15 operational bus parking spaces, 14 out-of-service bus spaces, and over 200 vehicle parking spaces. It has passenger waiting spaces, prayer rooms, public restrooms, taxi parking, bike racks, NOL card machines, information displays, ATMs, and refreshment vending machines. 

Where Is Satwa Bus Station?

The station is located in the area of Al Satwa near the Satwa roundabout and Al Satwa Road. Located in a highly strategic area of Dubai between the Jumeirah side of the city and the extensive Sheikh Zayed Road business district.

The official RTA station map indicates the surrounding area is Al Satwa St (D 09) and highlights the station’s bus bays and surrounding roads. The map also features the locations of various facilities and landmarks such as Al Satwa Mosque, Aster Medical Centre, Emirates Post, Al Khoory Executive Hotel, and Royal Ascot Hotel. 

The station is located centrally, which is beneficial for passengers who need to move between residential areas, commercial areas, and other public transport hubs. It is also part of the larger network that connects to the World Trade Center, Al Jafiliya, Deira, and Dubai’s airport corridor.

Satwa Bus Station and Satwa Roundabout

Satwa Roundabout is one of the easy-to-navigate landmarks when heading towards the station. If using a taxi, it helps to provide both Al Satwa Bus Station and Satwa Roundabout.

Note that Satwa Bus Station 5, Satwa Bus Station 7, Satwa Bus Station 8, or numbered bus stations are not the station. These numbers do not refer to individual stations but to specific boarding points within the station area. The current listings for public transport, for instance, are for Route 55 to Satwa Bus Station 5 and Route 88 to Satwa Bus Station 7. 

Bus Routes Serving Satwa

According to the official RTA station map published in April 2025, the main services of the station are 55, 11, X02, F11, C01, 7, F27, C09, and 88. 

RTA later made some changes to the network. It also added more peak-period services connected to Route 88 in January 2026 and announced other network changes that will impact the Satwa area. 

C01: Satwa to Dubai International Airport

One of the most convenient services for passengers who are transferring between Satwa and Dubai International Airport is C01. According to the information published by RTA, the C1/C01 corridor is the connecting link between Airport Terminal 3 and Al Satwa Bus Station. 

The existing timetable indicates that C01 will run from Airport Terminal 3 to the Satwa station area, with stops at various locations within the airport premises and central Dubai. 

It is worth noting that the direction and current departure time are important to consider prior to boarding the train, as individual services and stop arrangements may change.

X02: Connection Toward Union

X02 is a link between Satwa and Union and may be of benefit to passengers travelling into Deira and the northern part of central Dubai.

X02 is part of the Satwa corridor Dubai bus network in the RTA network material. The specific boarding bay will be identified on the station’s latest display or by using RTA’s journey-planning services before departure. 

Route 7

Another local route of significance is Route 7. In August 2025, RTA announced its plans to launch a 2-directional bus service on Route 7 between Al Quoz Bus Station and Al Satwa Bus Station. In August 2025, RTA announced that it will launch a two-directional bus service on Route 7 between Al Quoz Bus Station and Al Satwa Bus Station. 

This modification was especially important for people traveling between Satwa and Al Quoz via Route 7. The current listings for transit services still list Route 7 as running close to the numbered Satwa bus stops. 

Route 55

Satwa is connected to International City via Route 55. There are currently departures between International City and the Satwa station area, including services at Satwa Bus Station 5. 

Passengers should note that departure times from each station are continuously changing throughout the day and should check the current RTA timetable, rather than an older website that lists a fixed frequency.

Route 88 and the 2026 Peak Services

This is a new road, Route 88, which links Satwa to the rest of Dubai, including the Deira City Centre corridor. According to the current timetable, Route 88 runs from Satwa Bus Station 7 to Deira City Centre with several trips daily. 

RTA rolled out 88A in January 2026 as a one-direction service in the morning peak from Al Satwa to Jumeirah 3 to aid Route 88. RTA also made other changes to the network in the same update. 

There is an important difference here—88A must not be used as a substitute for the normal Route 88 service.

C09, F11, and F27

The official station map also names the services C09, F11, and F27 as related to the station. These are extra connections to the broader bus and metro system in Dubai.

F11 is especially significant for passengers travelling towards the Financial Centre area, and C09 links the Satwa corridor to the Hor Al Anz side of Dubai. C09 is also a historic route from Satwa to Hor Al Anz in RTA’s network material. 

The route number is not sufficient to identify the correct stop assignments since RTA routes are subject to change. Verify the current travel status of trains before travelling.

New Bus Changes Affecting Satwa

Since the station map was published in April 2025, there have been several changes to Dubai’s bus network.

RTA made four new routes and modifications to over 70 routes announced in January 2026. One of the new services is 88A, which runs from Al Satwa Bus Station to Jumeirah 3 during the morning peak hour.

RTA also launched a direct connection between Satwa and Global Village for particular seasons/events in the past, known as 108. The route was to run from Fridays to Sundays, public holidays, and special events from 2:00 PM to 1:00 AM the following day when it was launched in November 2024. 

The examples illustrate how a fixed list of all buses that serve Satwa can become very quickly outdated. Departure, stop, and route information is more likely to be accurate on a particular journey from the RTA journey planner or S’hail app. RTA particularly advises passengers of current departure information on the bus timetable services and S’hail. 

How to Reach Satwa Bus Station

By Bus

The station is located on several RTA routes, including numbered stops. Some routes will be part of the station network, including C01, 7, 55, 88, C09, F11, and X02, and other routes will be listed by stop number, which is a route that passes close to the station.

Be sure to ask which way before getting on, since the same number may run in different directions.

By Metro

The Metro can be used along with the connecting bus to get to Satwa. RTA’s integrated fare system is designed for use by Metro-to-bus transfers, in the event that the conditions for the transfer are met. 

If you are traveling from another station in Dubai, don’t just pick a Metro station by distance, but add the entire trip route into S’hail. The application can perform a comparison of public transport connections available.

By Taxi or Car

Al Satwa Bus Station or Satwa Roundabout can be used as the destination reference for taxi passengers. The station has special taxi, visitor, and pick-up/drop-off areas. 

Drivers are advised not to park directly in the bus bay but to utilize access and parking facilities as designated by the station.

Satwa Bus Station Timings

Each bus at the station has its own timetable. First and last departures vary from route to route, and some of the services run later than others.

RTA has currently issued guidance to passengers on checking the departure information of the bus station via its bus-station timetable service, or S’hail. It also declares that average waiting time is dependent on the person’s trip schedule displayed in S’hail. 

This is especially when it comes to bedtime. A station could still be available even if all the last scheduled train services have passed.

For instance, while C01 has traditionally been on duty at any hour, the published holiday timetable of the RTA has provided for various operating times for the broader Satwa station. These older timings for the holidays should not be seen as the current standard operating timetable for this day.

How to Check the Next Bus

The best way to find out the exact opening times of a station is to check the route, not generic opening times.

• You can use RTA’s journey planning service and S’hail.
• Type in your starting address and end address.
• Select the suggested bus route.
• Look at the stop/bay listed.
• Check the departure time right before leaving.

RTA also offers SMS timetable service via public transport services, using the number of the bus stop as an identifier, to retrieve the relevant information about the bus departure. 

Fares and Nol Card Payment

There is no fixed fare for journeys on the Dubai buses; rather, the fare is determined by the number of zones of travel. RTA’s fare information is now divided into trips within a zone, two zones, or more than 2 zones. 

The integrated Dubai public transport network is paid for using the Nol Card. RTA has announced that passengers should carry a minimum of AED 7.50 with them when checking in with a Nol Card. 

If the conditions for the transfer between Metro and bus are fulfilled, the transfer can be considered as one trip. RTA claims it is giving passengers 30 minutes to check in on a bus after checkout for the trips to be consolidated for fare computation. 

The station will have Nol card machines, allowing passengers to handle their cards without needing to go to another transport hub. 

Facilities at the Station

The station was designed more as a roadside bus stop. The specifications for RTA include facilities for passengers that will serve both regular commuters as well as passengers who have to wait between services.

RTA facilities reported are

• Passenger rest/waiting areas
• Prayer rooms available for men and women
• Public toilets
• No card machines
• Bus information screens will be installed.
• ATMs
• Vending machines for refreshments and snacks.
• Taxi parking
• Selects the best spot to collect or drop off items.
• Bike racks
• Visitor and staff parking.

The station can accommodate about 7,800 daily riders; the design can be expanded to 15,000 passengers later, says the RTA. 

There are also specific spaces set aside for waiting and standby buses to help to differentiate operational and passenger vehicles.

Connecting From Satwa to the Metro

The bus station is not just a bus terminal but part of the Dubai multimodal transport system.

People can get to some of the Red Line Metro stations in the vicinity by bus and then connect to the Metro to travel to destinations such as Sheikh Zayed Road, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and more.

The zonal fare system is also implemented with RTA’s transport system, providing integrated metro-and-bus travel. If the transfer occurs within the time and conditions allowed, then the passenger may be charged as a single journey for the sum of the zones used.

If an exact Metro-to-bus connection is desired, however, the recommended interchange may be affected by the passenger’s destination. The RTA journey planner should be used rather than making the assumption that the nearest station is always the quickest.

Dubai Bus on Demand in Al Satwa

A more modern mode of transport is also provided in the neighborhood.

RTA announced the addition of Al Satwa to Dubai Bus On-Demand on 12 August 2026, which will now cover 20 areas in Dubai. This service will be used for local journeys that are flexible, booked via its own application. 

This service will differ from the fixed-route buses from the main station. As per the current information provided by RTA, the fare for a ride within the zone is AED 5 per passenger, while the fare for an interzone trip is AED 7 per passenger, and there will be a charge for additional passengers in the same booking. 

Bus on-demand trips are also available in addition to other Dubai bus and metro trips. 

This can be an alternative option when a fixed route is not available for passengers who want to travel inside the boundaries of Al Satwa.

Conclusion

Satwa Bus Station is an important RTA transport hub in one of Dubai’s central residential and commercial neighborhoods. It has a network of airport, city, feeder, and cross-city connections, and the station has facilities for passengers, including Nol machines, a waiting area, prayer rooms, toilets, taxi facilities, and information displays. 

The key for travelers is that routes are subject to change. It is better to check S’hail or the current RTA timetable just before travel to make a few network adjustments for 2025 and 2026, such as new peak services around Route 88, than to rely on an old route list. 

Passengers should have a valid Nol Card or a ticket issued by RTA, and the fares will be calculated by the system according to the zones travelled. When RTA’s transfer conditions are fulfilled, it is possible to integrate the metro-to-bus transfer. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main bus station in Al Satwa?

Al Satwa Bus Station is a transport hub where the Al Satwa neighborhood is served by the RTA. It links various key destinations in Dubai via numerous bus routes.

Which bus goes from Satwa to Dubai Airport?

Al Satwa is linked to Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 via C01. A convenient transit for commuters taking buses from Satwa to the airport.

Does Route 55 go to Satwa?

Yes. Route 55 passes through the Satwa area and is a link between Satwa and the International City. Those travelling should consult the latest timetable before making their journey.

Does Route 88 operate from Satwa?

Yes. Route 88 runs from the Satwa area to Deira City Centre. RTA has also launched extra peak-period services on this line.

Can I top up my Nol Card at Satwa?

Yes. Nol card machines are available at the station for passengers to top up their cards before they make use of Dubai’s public transport.

Are Satwa bus timings the same every day?

No. Timings for the buses between the different routes may differ and could be changed due to changes in bus services, holidays, or special operations. Please consult RTA or S’hail for the most up-to-date departure times.

Is Al Satwa included in Bus On Demand?

Yes. In 2026, RTA added Al Satwa to its Bus On Demand network. It is a service that operates independently of the fixed-route buses and enables people to reserve local trips via the application.