Abras

There are several marine transportation options in Dubai including over 149 abras that can carry up to 20 people per boat. Abras are traditional wooden boats with motors and cost 1 dhs per passenger to cross the Dubai Creek and you pay the driver in cash as there are no tickets issued. You can also hire a full Abra to cruise on the Creek. One hour usually costs about 100 dirhams. A cheaper option is to hire a non-motorized Abra, which uses oars. These cost about 30 dirhams per hour.

There are two main routes. The first begins at station 1: Deira Old Souk Abra Station and travels .59 kilometers to the Bur Dubai Abra Station (5 minutes). The second route travels from the Sabkha Abra Station to the Dubai OldSouk Abra Station (approximately .68 kilometers) taking roughly 7 minutes.

Water Bus Services for Commuters
Instead of an abra which only crosses the Dubai Creek, an alternative is to use the air conditioned water buses operated by the Marine Agency of RTA. There are four routes for commuters, with trips costing two dirhams per person and payments are to be made using NOL cards.

Water Bus Services for Tourists
Tourists wishing to use the water bus have a separate tourist route (hop on-hop off possible) starting from Al
Shindagha Station to Bur Dubai, Deira Old Souk, Al Seef, Creek Park and back to Al Shindagha. Round trips cost 50 dirhams per adult and 25 dirhams per child with tickets to be bought in cash.

Water Taxi Service

The RTA also launched a special water taxi service from July 2010 onwards. It can accommodate up to 11 passengers each and is equipped with air-conditioned cabins, ramp access for disabled passengers, LCD screens, soft leather reclining seats and connects to most hotels.

Water Taxi Stations and Routes
The water taxi is the only marine public transport vessel that is able to leave the creek and navigate the waters of the Arabian Gulf. The 18 locations include Al Mamzar, Deira Old Souq, Al Sabkha, Bani Yas, Dubai Festival City, Al Shindagha, Bur Dubai, Al Fahidi, Al Seef, Dubai Creek Park (A & B), Al Boom Tourist Village, Open Jumeirah Beach,
Jumeirah Beach Park, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai Marina, Jebel Ali Hotel and Spa and Atlantis Hotel. New
locations will be added as the water taxi service grows.

Water Taxi Fares
Water taxis operate from 10 am to 10 pm. The minimum fare is 50 dirhams for a ride across Creek Park, from Bur Dubai to Deira to a maximum of 570 dirhams. Fares are not based on time or distance as they may vary with trip and weather conditions. The fare is agreed upon when the customer makes a booking.  All trips must be booked in advance by calling RTA on toll-free 8009090.

Key Tips:
• Accommodates 11 passengers.
• Taxi operates from 10am to 10pm.
• Minimum fare is 50 dhs up to 570 dhs pending route selected.
• All fares must be booked in advance by calling RTA 809090.