New signs, Makani plates and a renamed station.
Two changes are reaching Dubai streets in late 2026. New area signs and house plates with Makani numbers are starting in five areas, and the Metro station once called Onpassive is being renamed Garmin, with signs and apps updated until the end of November. If you give a driver, a hotel or a group a drop-off point, the old name in an old email may now be wrong. Here is what the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has published, what it has not, and a short check before each drop-off.
What RTA says about the new area signs
On 7 October 2026 the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning, with RTA and Dubai Municipality, launched a new visual identity and addressing system. It covers area identification signs, internal street name signs and house number plates, in unified designs and colours that reflect the geography of each area.
The plan covers 186 areas in 19 sectors, in phases from the fourth quarter of 2026 through 2030. Phase one starts this year, with more than 2,000 signs in five areas: Za’abeel 1, Za’abeel 2, Nad Al Sheba, Al Khawaneej 1 and Nazwa. RTA says five colours are used, for example blue for areas near the sea and gold for desert areas. We found no list of the areas that follow phase one.
Our reading, not RTA’s: a venue inside one of those five areas may have new signs sooner than a venue elsewhere. We do not know which venue has which sign today, and RTA does not say.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteWhat Makani is, and what plates will show
Makani is Dubai’s smart address system. Dubai Municipality calls itself the official source of Makani data and describes Dubai as the first city to use numbers to identify building entrances. The municipality’s open data page also says the data can contain inaccuracies and that it is not liable for them, so use a Makani number as one check and not the only one.
RTA says the new house number plates will show each property’s Makani number and a QR code, and that QR codes will also carry area information. It says later stages extend to bus stops and area map boards. A search summary of the municipality’s pages describes a Makani number as a ten-digit code that points to a building’s main entrance. We could not load the Makani site to confirm that, so we write it as reported.
Not every venue will have a plate yet. A group should not assume that a hotel, a hall or a gallery shows a Makani number on its own site. Where the venue publishes one, copy it exactly into your drop-off note.
The renamed Metro station
On 7 September 2026 RTA said it had granted a 10-year naming right for the station previously called ONPASSIVE Metro Station to Garmin. It becomes Garmin Metro Station. RTA says signs inside and outside the stations, digital systems, its public transport apps and the onboard announcements are being updated from September to the end of November 2026. The release does not say which district the station serves.
You may see both names in the same week. The plan-your-visit page of Alserkal Avenue, which we opened on 31 October 2026, still names the nearest Metro station as Onpassive, formerly Al Safa. We read that as the same station RTA is renaming, but the two sources do not say so in one place. If a group will use the Metro, check the name on RTA’s journey planner and on the platform signs on the day.
The numbers
| Item | What RTA says |
|---|---|
| Areas in the plan | 186, in 19 sectors |
| Timetable | Phases from the fourth quarter of 2026 to 2030 |
| Phase one | More than 2,000 signs in five areas |
| Phase one areas | Za’abeel 1, Za’abeel 2, Nad Al Sheba, Al Khawaneej 1, Nazwa |
| Colours | Five, for example blue near the sea and gold for desert areas |
| Plates | Makani number and QR code on house number plates |
| Garmin Metro Station | Signage and app updates from September to the end of November 2026 |
These are counts and dates, not drive times. For the road works that change the way to the airport and the venues, our guide to Dubai road projects covers new bridges and lanes. This page is only about names and addresses.
What is not published
We found no list of the areas after phase one, no date by which a given area will have its signs, and no word on whether bus stops or map boards will change names. We found no RTA rule on how a coach should find a drop-off by Makani number, and no official page that tells a driver which sign style to look for. We say nothing about how any driver navigates, because the road decides that on the day.
Planning a drop-off
The simplest protection is a one-line drop-off note that does not depend on any single name. For an example, a group visiting a gallery could write: the venue name as the venue spells it, the area as the venue gives it, the Makani number if the venue publishes one, a map pin, the nearest Metro station by its current RTA name, the meeting time and one phone number for the group leader. Your venue and group will change the list.
Do this before each new venue, not once for the trip. A tour leader with six stops needs six notes. If the venue’s own page and a map service disagree on the area name, ask the venue. We agree the drop-off point and the collection point with you, and we cannot promise a stop at a gate or a bay.
Our tour leader briefing sheet lists what to confirm for each coach day, and the ground transport checklist covers venue details for an event. For a Metro and coach day, see when to combine them.
Choosing the vehicle
Names and signs do not change the head count. Count passengers first and bags second. Our guide figures:
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
- 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
- Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
- 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for tour parties.
Large vehicles need a street they can enter. Our guide to hotel entrances and tight streets explains how we check.
How a booked vehicle fits
- Send the plan. Date, venue names, hotel area, party size and the time you want to be back.
- Ask for a fixed written quote. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
- Read the pick-up and drop-off arrangement. The quote states it, and we update it when a venue or an authority publishes a change.
- Agree the times. We plan the margin and tell you what is not yet published.
- Tell us if plans change. We adjust where we can, and cannot promise to beat traffic.
Keep reading
- Etihad Rail Dubai Station to your hotel: Etihad Rail passenger trains now reach Dubai. The station is outside the centre, so here is the first and last mile to the Marina, Downtown, the airports and Expo City.
- Dubai Metro and a coach for groups: When a group should ride the Dubai Metro for one leg and take a vehicle for the others: a decision table on luggage, terminals, hours and stations, plus three worked examples.
- Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
- New Year’s Eve with a group: How to move a group on New Year’s Eve in Dubai: road closures, drop-off points, timings, vehicle sizes and the late return that decides everything.
- New Year’s Day transfers to DXB: Friday 1 January 2027 is a public holiday and the morning after the biggest night of the year. How a group gets to Dubai Airport, what ran last year, and how to plan the pick-up.
- JBR, Marina and Bluewaters on NYE: Last year JBR was closed to private vehicles from 4pm on New Year’s Eve. What was reported, how that shapes a hotel stay in the Marina, and the walk to the Metro.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
What are the new Dubai area signs?
RTA, with Dubai Municipality and the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning, announced on 7 October 2026 a new visual identity and addressing system: area signs, street name signs and house number plates, for 186 areas in phases to 2030.
Which areas get signs first?
RTA names five: Za’abeel 1, Za’abeel 2, Nad Al Sheba, Al Khawaneej 1 and Nazwa, with more than 2,000 signs in phase one.
What is a Makani number?
It is part of Dubai’s smart address system. Dubai Municipality is the official source of the data. A search summary describes it as a ten-digit code for a building entrance, which we could not confirm on the Makani site.
Do all venues have a Makani plate?
We cannot say. RTA says the new plates will show a Makani number and QR code, but the rollout is in phases. Use the number the venue publishes, if it publishes one.
What happened to the Onpassive Metro Station?
RTA granted naming rights to Garmin, so it becomes Garmin Metro Station. Signs, apps and announcements are being updated from September to the end of November 2026, and some pages still use the old name.
Which district does the Garmin station serve?
RTA’s release does not say. Check RTA’s journey planner for the station and its exits.
How should I write a drop-off for my group?
Give the venue name as the venue spells it, the area, a Makani number if published, a map pin, the nearest Metro station by its current name, the time and a contact number. Repeat for each venue.
Can you promise to stop at the entrance?
No. We agree a drop-off point and a collection point with you, and we cannot promise a stop at a gate or a bay.
How do I get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking form with the date, venues, hotel area and party size. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Got the venue name? Send us the plan.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.