Why Do Dubai Taxis Have Different-Coloured Roofs, and What Does Each Colour Mean?
Dubai’s taxis, with their cream-coloured bodies and colourful roofs, are among the emirate’s most recognisable urban transport symbols. But why are the roofs red, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange and pink, and what does each colour mean?
According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the city’s taxi fleet comprised 14,476 vehicles in 2025. Most have cream or sand-coloured bodies and roofs in different colours.
Contrary to what some passengers may think, the different roof colours do not usually indicate differences in service levels or fares. Instead, they identify the companies operating the taxis.
Why Do Dubai Taxis Have Different-Coloured Roofs?
In the past, several private companies provided taxi services in Dubai, and each company’s vehicles had a distinct appearance.
However, in the late 2000s, authorities decided to standardise the appearance of the city’s taxis by giving them cream or sand-coloured bodies. Under the system, only the roof colour remained different to identify the operator.
The change created a consistent look across the taxi fleet while allowing passengers and officials to identify different operators easily.
Identifying the operator is particularly important when passengers leave personal belongings in a vehicle or wish to file a complaint about a journey.
Taxi companies operating in Dubai are regulated by the city’s Roads and Transport Authority and must comply with approved rules and fare structures.
The roof colour itself therefore has no effect on the fare. However, the final cost of a journey may vary depending on the time of travel, booking method, pick-up location, road tolls and traffic conditions.
Red Roof: Dubai Taxi Company
Red-roof taxis are operated by Dubai Taxi Company, the city’s largest taxi operator.
The company operates under agreements with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and manages a significant share of the city’s taxi fleet.
Red-roof taxis are among the most common in the fleet, offering services across Dubai.
Passengers can book these taxis through the Careem, Bolt and S’hail apps. Dubai Taxi Company’s call centre can also be reached on 80088088.
Blue Roof: Kabi
Blue-roof taxis belong to Kabi, formerly known as Cars Taxi.
The company began operations in April 2000 and was the first private operator to join Dubai’s taxi network under an operating franchise agreement.
Kabi is one of the UAE’s largest taxi companies and, according to information published by its parent company, transports more than 150,000 passengers across the country every day.
Its fleet includes hybrid vehicles and other alternative-fuel technologies.
However, Kabi’s blue taxi roofs are gradually being phased out, with the company planning to replace them with purple-roof vehicles.
The contact number listed for the company in the original report is 04 269 3344. Taxis from this fleet can also be booked through online reservation platforms.
Purple Roofs: The New Colour of Kabi Taxis
Purple-roof taxis also belong to Kabi and are gradually replacing blue-roof vehicles as part of the company’s rebranding.
The change from blue to purple roofs is part of the renaming and visual rebranding of Cars Taxi as Kabi.
The purple colour aligns with the visual identity of Kabi’s parent company, Al Ghurair Group.
According to the company, the new colour also symbolises innovation, human connection and recognition.
The colour is sometimes displayed as “Violet” on taxi-booking apps, referring to a shade of purple.
As part of the change, the vehicles’ interiors and exteriors are also being updated, while low-emission transport technologies remain part of the company’s plans.
Therefore, blue-roof and purple-roof taxis belong to the same company, with the colour difference resulting from Kabi’s rebranding.
Green-Roof Taxis: Arabia Taxi
Taxis with green roofs are operated by Arabia Taxi.
The company began operations in 2005 with 500 taxis and expanded its fleet in subsequent years.
In partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, Arabia Taxi focuses on providing transport services using hybrid vehicles and more environmentally friendly technologies.
The company aims to provide convenient and efficient taxi services while reducing the environmental impact of its fleet operations.
Green-roof taxis can be booked by calling 04 285 1111 or through taxi-booking platforms such as Careem.
Yellow Roof: National Taxi
Yellow-roof taxis belong to National Taxi, which began operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2000.
The company initially operated just 50 taxis but gradually expanded its operations.
According to official information released in 2026, National Taxi’s fleet comprised more than 2,700 vehicles across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
A major development for the company came on July 8, 2026, when Dubai Taxi Company announced that it had completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of National Taxi’s shares for AED 1.45 billion.
Following the deal, National Taxi became a subsidiary of Dubai Taxi Company and continued operating under its new ownership.
Therefore, despite the different red and yellow roof colours, both taxi brands are now part of the same corporate group.
Yellow-roof taxis can be booked by calling 04 339 0002 or through online taxi booking platforms.
Orange Roof: Metro Taxi
Orange-roof taxis belong to Metro Taxi.
These taxis are less commonly seen on Dubai’s streets than some other colour-coded taxis because Metro Taxi operates a smaller fleet.
The company operates under the supervision of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and complies with approved taxi regulations and fares.
Orange-roof taxis can be booked by calling 04 267 3222 or through online booking platforms such as Careem.
Pink-Roof Taxis: Dedicated Service for Women and Families
Pink-roof taxis are a dedicated service offered by Dubai Taxi Company for women and families.
A key feature of these taxis is that they are driven by women and serve women and families, including mothers travelling with children.
The service is available to women of all nationalities and aims to provide a comfortable, safe and stress-free travel experience.
Pink-roof taxis are fewer in number than other vehicles in the fleet and are available at locations including Dubai airports, selected shopping malls and hospitals.
Passengers can request these taxis by calling 80088088 or using booking channels approved by Dubai Taxi Company, including the Bolt and S’hail apps.
What Is Hala Taxi and How Does It Differ From Dubai’s Colour-Coded Taxis?
When using Dubai’s transport services, you may have come across the name Hala Taxi and assumed it referred to another taxi company or vehicles with a specific roof colour.
However, Hala is an online taxi-booking service launched in 2019 through a partnership between Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and Careem.
Hala does not own an independent taxi fleet. Instead, it connects passengers with drivers from licensed taxi companies through the Careem app.
By selecting the Hala Taxi option in the Careem app, passengers can enter their pick-up location and destination and request a vehicle.
The dispatched taxi may belong to any of the companies regulated by the RTA, and its roof colour will vary accordingly.
Hala is therefore not a type of taxi with a distinctive roof colour, but an online way to access taxi services.
Does a Taxi’s Roof Colour Affect the Fare?
In Dubai’s taxi system, a vehicle’s roof colour is primarily used to identify the company operating it and does not, by itself, determine the fare.
However, under the fare structure set by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, journey costs may vary depending on whether the taxi is booked online or hailed from the street, the time of travel, whether the trip begins at the airport or elsewhere in the city, and any additional charges.
As a result, two journeys along a similar route may cost different amounts, but the difference is not necessarily related to the vehicle’s roof colour.
Overall, red, blue, purple, green, yellow and orange roofs mainly indicate different taxi operators, while pink-roof taxis are reserved for women and families.