Dubai Metro Red Line section between 3 stations to run for longer hours this weekend

Passengers can ride the Metro for free from Terminal 3 to Centrepoint station between midnight and 2am

Passengers are allowed up to two pieces of luggage on the Dubai Metro, with one being hand luggage. Pawan Singh / The National

A section of the Dubai Metro Red Line connecting three stations will operate for longer hours this weekend because of an expected rush of passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport.

The Roads and Transport Authority told The National that the Metro service between Airport Terminal 3, Emirates and Centrepoint station in the Rashidiya area, will serve passengers on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28, from midnight until 2am the next day.

The train will ferry passengers free of cost during these two hours.

The regular Metro schedule shows that trains run frequently between Dubai's terminals 1 and 3, with both stations on the Red Line.

The Red Line operates from 5am until midnight, from Monday to Thursday, then 5am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 8am until midnight on Sunday.

Passengers are allowed up to two pieces of luggage, with one being hand luggage.

Dubai Airports expect a rush of passengers as families return to the UAE before schools start on Monday.

Earlier this month, authorities urged passengers to register for the smart gates at Dubai International Airport to avoid delays.

The biometric systems installed at the gates have eased pressure on passport control officers as more people opt to pass through the gates instead of queuing for a physical stamp at immigration.

Dubai International Airport recorded 19.7 million passengers, including 9.8 million passengers at entry points and 9.9 million passengers at exit points by the end of July.

Dubai Metro stations — in pictures

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

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

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  Al Jafiliya station has been renamed Max Fashion.

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

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  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.

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

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  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.