Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta is one of the easiest station-to-mall journeys on the whole network. Step off the train and a short covered link takes you straight into Ibn Battuta Mall, the sprawling themed centre built around the travels of the fourteenth-century Moroccan explorer. The mall is split into courts styled after Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China, and the metro drops you right at its doorstep, out of the heat and away from the weekend car parks.

Beyond the shopping, the station is a genuine transport hub for the south-western edge of the city. The Ibn Battuta Bus Station sits right alongside, with intercity coaches heading out to Abu Dhabi and beyond, so plenty of travellers use this stop as a switch point between the metro and long-distance buses rather than as a destination in itself.

Station Overview

Ibn Battuta opened in 2010 on the Dubai Metro Red Line and sits in Zone 2 of the NOL fare system. It is an elevated station on a viaduct, with the trains, as across the network, fully automated and driverless.

Lines and Connectivity

Ibn Battuta is a Red Line station. Towards the city the line runs through the Marina district and on to Downtown and Deira, while in the other direction it reaches National Paints, where the Route 2020 branch splits off for Expo City. The adjacent bus station links to Abu Dhabi and regional services, and for the Green Line you change at BurJuman or Union.

Station Layout and Structure

Ibn Battuta is elevated, with lifts, escalators and stairs from the concourse and a covered connection into the mall. Facilities include toilets, ATMs, NOL top-up machines, a staffed service point and shops. Gold Class carriages sit at the front of each train and a women and children carriage runs in the middle.

Accessibility

Ibn Battuta has full step-free access, with lifts between street level, the concourse and the platform, and a level route into the mall. Tactile paving, audio announcements and platform screen doors are all present, and the flat mall connection is easy for wheelchair users and families.

Travel Tips

• Follow the covered link straight into Ibn Battuta Mall to skip the heat and the weekend car parks.
• The Ibn Battuta Bus Station next door runs intercity coaches to Abu Dhabi, useful for a metro-to-bus transfer.
• For Expo City, ride towards National Paints and change to a Route 2020 branch train.
• For the Green Line, change at BurJuman or Union.
• A NOL card costs AED 25 including AED 19 of credit and works across metro, tram, bus and marine transport.
• The metro runs Saturday to Wednesday 05:00-00:00, Thursday 05:00-01:00 and Friday 08:00-01:00.

Nearby Attractions

Ibn Battuta Mall - linked to the station, a themed mall of six country courts with a cinema, dining and shops.

Ibn Battuta Bus Station - beside the metro, the departure point for coaches to Abu Dhabi and regional destinations.

Discovery Gardens - a nearby residential community reachable from this stretch of the network.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

Trains at Ibn Battuta run Saturday to Wednesday 05:00-00:00, Thursday 05:00-01:00 and Friday 08:00-01:00. The station is busiest at weekends and on Friday evenings when shoppers head for the mall, along with the usual weekday commuter peaks. For a quieter visit and an easier run through the mall, arrive on a weekday late morning.