F11 Bus Dubai: Route, Timings, and Fares

If you’re trying to get between Financial Centre and Satwa without spending money on taxis, the F11 bus is your best option. It’s a circular route that connects residential areas in Satwa to two major metro stations, making it useful for daily commuters and anyone trying to navigate Dubai on a budget.

This guide covers the route, timings, fares, and everything else you need to know to use the F11 without confusion.

When the F11 Bus Runs

The F11 starts service at 5:47 AM on most days and runs until 11:30 PM. That’s early enough for morning shifts and late enough for evening plans. On Fridays, the last bus finishes its run at 12:48 AM, giving you extra time at the start of the weekend.

During morning rush hours between 7 and 9 AM, and evening rush from 5 to 8 PM, buses come every 15 minutes. Outside these times, you’ll wait around 20 to 30 minutes between buses. If you’re traveling mid-morning or early afternoon, you’ll have a more comfortable ride with fewer people and more available seats.

The key is not to just show up and hope. Download the RTA Wojhati app or Moovit to check when the next bus is actually arriving. Standing at a bus stop in Dubai heat for 25 minutes when you could have stayed inside is not worth it.

The F11 Route and Main Stops

The F11 runs in a complete loop. It starts at Financial Center Metro, goes through Wasl and Satwa, passes Trade Centre, and comes back to where it started. The full loop takes between 35 minutes to an hour depending on how bad traffic is.

The route makes 18 stops total, but most people only care about a few of them. Financial Center Seaside Metro is the main starting point and where most people connect to the Red Line metro. From there, the bus heads to Emirates Towers Seaside, which is useful if you work in that business district.

Trade Centre Metro Station is your other metro connection point, serving people working around World Trade Centre and DIFC. The bus then moves into residential areas, making stops through Wasl before hitting the main Satwa stops near the post office and roundabout.

Iranian Hospital is one of those landmark stops that locals use as a reference point. If someone tells you to meet them there, they mean the bus stop near that building. The Satwa stops get heavy use because that’s a dense residential and commercial area where a lot of people actually live and shop.

If you’re going from Financial Centre to Satwa, expect about 15 to 20 minutes in normal traffic. Going from Financial Centre to Trade Centre takes roughly 8 to 12 minutes. These times can stretch during rush hours when traffic clogs up the main roads.

How the Metro Connections Work

The F11 exists mainly to connect people to Dubai Metro’s Red Line. Financial Centre Metro Station is your primary connection, giving you access to Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Deira, Jebel Ali, and basically anywhere the Red Line reaches.

Trade Centre Metro Station is just a few stops away on the same Red Line, but it’s there for convenience if you’re specifically heading to the World Trade Centre area or nearby offices. Both connections use the same Nol card, so you tap once on the bus, then tap again when you enter the metro without needing separate tickets or transfers.

The F11 doesn’t connect directly to the Green Line, but you can reach it by taking the bus to Financial Centre, then riding the Red Line to a transfer station like Union or Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall.

What It Costs to Ride

The fare is AED 3 flat rate no matter where you get on or off. You pay once, ride as far as you need, and that’s it. Simple pricing that doesn’t require calculating zones or distances.

You must use a Nol card. The bus doesn’t take cash or credit cards. If you don’t have one yet, buy it at any metro station from the ticket machines or service counters. Silver cards are standard and reloadable. Red cards work for tourists but cost a bit more per trip. Gold cards are premium if you want first-class metro access, but most people use Silver.

When you board, tap your card on the reader near the driver. When you get off, tap again. If you forget to tap out, you get charged the maximum fare. On this route it’s not a huge difference, but it’s still money you don’t need to waste.

Kids under 5 ride free. Anyone older pays the full AED 3. There’s no student discount or reduced fare for seniors on regular RTA buses.

Practical Information You Actually Need

All F11 buses have air conditioning that works well when the bus isn’t packed. During rush hours with standing passengers crammed in, the AC struggles to keep everyone cool, but it’s still better than waiting outside.

Wheelchair users can board easily. RTA buses have ramps and designated spaces that drivers will deploy when needed. Just let the driver know you need assistance.

There’s no WiFi on the bus. If you need internet, use your phone’s data. Most people just scroll through downloaded content or message on WhatsApp during the ride.

You can bring luggage, but be considerate about size and placement. A backpack or small suitcase is fine. Multiple large bags during rush hour will annoy people and block the aisle.

The bus runs on public holidays with regular or slightly reduced frequency depending on which holiday it is. Fridays have that extended late-night service until nearly 1 AM, making it easier to get home after evening plans at the start of the weekend.

How to Track the Bus

Don’t guess when the bus will arrive. The RTA Wojhati app shows real-time locations and estimated arrival times for every bus on every route. Moovit does the same and has a cleaner interface that some people prefer. Google Maps also integrates RTA bus tracking, though it’s sometimes a minute or two behind the other apps.

These apps matter because waiting times vary. A bus might be 5 minutes away or 25 minutes away depending on traffic and where it is in the loop. Knowing which lets you plan whether to wait at the stop or grab a coffee first.

Common Situations and Solutions

If you miss your stop, you have two choices. Stay on the bus for the full loop and get off where you wanted on the second pass, which wastes 30 to 40 minutes. Or get off at the next stop, cross the street, and catch the next bus going the opposite direction if it’s a two-way road. On this circular route, staying on for the loop is usually easier.

If the bus is full when it arrives, the driver might not stop or might only let a few people on. During rush hours this happens more often. Your options are waiting for the next bus or adjusting your travel time to avoid peak hours entirely.

If your Nol card doesn’t have enough balance, the reader will beep and show an error. You can’t board. Top up your card at the nearest metro station or through the RTA app before you try again. Drivers don’t carry change and can’t help with payment issues. Check the information how to check your nol card balance.

Why People Use the F11

It costs AED 3 instead of AED 25 to 40 for a taxi covering the same distance. That difference adds up fast if you’re commuting daily. Over a month, you’re saving hundreds of dirhams compared to taxi fares.

The route connects directly to two metro stations, making it easy to reach other parts of Dubai without transferring multiple times or walking long distances. If you live in Satwa and work near Dubai Mall, this bus gets you to Financial Centre Metro, then one metro ride gets you there.

Service is frequent enough that you’re not waiting forever, but spaced enough that checking the app first makes sense. The buses are clean, maintained properly, and drivers follow the schedule as closely as traffic allows.

For anyone living or working along this route, the F11 is just practical transport that works. It’s not exciting, but it doesn’t need to be. It gets you where you’re going for less money than alternatives, and it does it reliably.