Dubai's Nol Student Card to Handle Online and In-Store Payments Across the GCC From December

An RTA spokesperson told Khaleej Times that the upgraded student card will carry the same features as a standard Nol card. The authority said students will also be able to top up instantly through online channels, manage their profiles and renew their cards online, and parents will be able to manage the account or card on their behalf.

The change matters because it brings a sizeable group of young users onto the RTA's payment rails rather than leaving the card as a transport-only product. According to the RTA, 49,500 Nol student cards are currently active and 43,800 have been printed since 2024. The card, launched in 2009 shortly after the Dubai Metro opened, gives a 50% discount on public transport in the emirate, and holders can get retail savings by joining the nol Plus loyalty programme through the RTA's digital channels.

Any school or university student in the UAE under 23 can apply through the RTA website or the Nol Pay app by submitting an Emirates ID, a photograph and a stamped confirmation letter from their institution. The card costs Dh70 and is valid for five years. Since 2024 the RTA has also offered a nol ISIC version, developed with the International Student Identity Card Association, which doubles as international student identification; at launch the RTA said it would offer discounts of up to 70% at local and international brands.

The student card upgrade is part of a broader overhaul of the Nol system. The RTA has been moving to account-based ticketing, with plans to let commuters link Nol cards to digital accounts, use QR code tickets and pay fares with bank cards and digital wallets. It has also announced a new generation of nol-Jaywan cards that combine the Nol transport system with Jaywan, the UAE's national payment card scheme, with a pilot beginning in November 2026.

The RTA has not said which outlets outside the UAE will accept the upgraded student card or whether any fees will apply to the new payment features ahead of the December rollout.