Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has rolled out a new digital ticketing option that lets passengers pass through metro gates, buses and trams using a QR code on their smartphone instead of the familiar red paper Nol ticket. The system went live on October 10, 2026, and is aimed chiefly at occasional riders and visitors who do not want to buy a physical Nol card for a short stay.
Passengers can generate the digital ticket through either the Nol Pay or S'hail app, buying it up to 90 days ahead of travel. The ticket only becomes active the moment it is first scanned, and it automatically expires at midnight of that same calendar day regardless of when it was purchased or activated — a traveller who activates a ticket at 11pm will see it lapse an hour later.
Using the ticket is straightforward: at metro stations, riders hold the phone with the QR code facing down over the blue card reader at the gate; on buses, the code is shown facing up against the red Nol reader near the entrance. The same digital ticket also works on Dubai's tram network.
RTA stressed that the existing silver, gold and personal Nol cards are unaffected and continue to operate exactly as before, so regular commuters do not need to change their routine. The move follows Dubai's broader push toward cashless, app-based public services, which officials say has already added billions of dirhams to the local economy by cutting the cost and friction of cash handling.
Transport officials expect the digital ticket to shorten queues at ticket machines in Dubai's busiest stations and make the city's public transport network more accessible to tourists arriving without a physical Nol card.