All about the new abra and ferry station at Souk Al Marfa
Covering over 17 square kilometres and nestled parallel to Dubai’s historic Deira district, Dubai Islands is a beautiful waterfront location consisting of four man-made islands. Amongst the many attractions that call the island’s home, Souk Al Marfa is a wholesale marketplace featuring over 400 stores and pavilions. Indoor and fully air-conditioned, this vibrant souk stretches a whopping 1.9 kilometres along the waterfront….and now it also has it’s own abra and ferry station! With this latest addition in mind, here’s our guide to the new abra and ferry station at Souk Al Marfa.
OVERVIEW
Souk Al Marfa at Dubai Islands is a waterfront retail hotspot, with its new abra and ferry station being a joint venture by Nakheel and Dubai’s Road Transport Authority (RTA).
The new abra/ferry station connects the island-based marketplace with Dubai’s old trading hub on the mainland. The scenic abra route will offer stunning views of the Deira Corniche, Deira Old Souq, Dubai Creek and Gold Souq.
On completion, there will be over 1000 shops to explore at Souk Al Marfa, stocking everything from electronics to spices!
ENJOY FREE RIDES AT THE RTA ABRA AND FERRY STATION AT SOUK AL MARFA
The good news is that free abra rides are available to all for five months starting from March 2022. Souk Al Marfa’s new abra and ferry station offers a direct service to and from the Dubai Old Souq and Deira Old Souq, as well as direct service between Souk Al Marfa and Al Ghubaiba.
Routes and Timings
The route that connects Souk Al Marfa to Dubai’s Old Souq and Deira’s Old Souq comprises a journey of approximately 25 minutes. Here are the daily timings:
- Monday to Thursday: 05:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Friday to Sunday: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | 05:00 pm to 10:00 pm
The ferry route between Souk Al Marfa and Al Ghubaiba takes 20 minutes. Here are the timings:
- Friday to Sunday (weekends only): 06:00 pm – 10:00 pm
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MUCH DOES AN ABRA RIDE COST IN DUBAI?
Abra is an inexpensive public transport that predominantly takes visitors to older parts of the emirate, making it one of the popular ways to visit heritage sites and souks. Abra rides cost AED 1 for regular and AED 2 for air-conditioned.
WHAT LANDMARKS CAN YOU VISIT BY DUBAI ABRA?
The RTA abras cover some of the most popular tourist hotspots in Dubai. Some of the destinations accessible by abras include The Gold Souq, The Dubai Canal, Dubai Old Souq, Deira Old Souq, Creek/Al Jadaf, Festival City and more. You can also take the Dubai Ferry to explore the emirate.
That concludes our guide to the new abra and ferry station at Souk Al Marfa, an exciting addition which adds an inexpensive way to explore the impressive Dubai Islands.
Fancy trying out some other historical modes of transport in Dubai? The popular dhow cruises in Dubai Marina offer a fun mix of traditional and modern entertainment.
Cover image credit: Media Office Government of Dubai official website
