Umm Al Sheif Metro station in Dubai renamed Equiti

It is the latest in a long line of branding deals on the public transport network

The Roads and Transport Authority granted the Equiti Group the renaming rights for a period of 10 years. Photo: RTA

It is all change at Dubai's Umm Al Sheif Metro Station, which now has a new name.

The Dubai Metro stop, one of 47 stations on the emirate's network spanning more than 74 kilometres, will now be known as Equiti.

The name represents Equiti Group, a leading provider of brokerage services in the UAE.

The Roads and Transport Authority granted the group the naming rights for a period of 10 years.

The station operates on the Red Line of the Dubai metro network and is near a number of landmarks including Burj Al Arab and Mall of the Emirates, which has its own station.

The renaming process takes place this month and will involve updating external signs on the station, as well as updating on-board voice announcements across trains.

“Dubai Metro stations are a strategic location for investors to showcase their brands,” said Abdul Kalbat, chief executive of the Rail Agency at RTA.

“The metro is the mainstay of transportation in Dubai and a key hub in the daily commute of hundreds of thousands of various community members.”

Last year, Dubai Marina's metro stop was renamed Sobha Realty in a deal between the transport authority and the housing developer.

The renaming of the marina station, one of the busiest in Dubai, came a week after Al Jafiliya station was renamed Max Fashion and Al Rashidiya became Centrepoint, after the popular department stores.

Dubai Metro - in pictures

Al Rashidiya metro station at the southern end of Dubai's Red Line has been renamed Centrepoint, after the department store.

The newly named Sobha Realty metro station on the Red Line.

Al Jafiliya station has been renamed Max Fashion.

Dubai’s metro system consists of three lines – Red, Green and Route 2020.

The Route 2020 stations – Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Investment Park and Expo 2020 – are more futuristic than the original network.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visits a monitoring suite for the transport network.

The Red Line starts at Centrepoint station and ends at UAE Exchange. The route has 29 stations – 24 elevated, four underground and one at ground level.