For the Dubai Metro, As DJ Khaled likes to say…
Another one! Yep, another metro station just got a fresh new name. This time, it’s GGICO Metro Station getting the glow-up — now officially called Al Garhoud Station. Lately, there’s been a wave of renaming across the Dubai Metro, and GGICO’s just the latest to join the rebrand club.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) dropped the news on Friday that GGICO Metro Station is getting a name change — but the switch-up will kick in a little later.
The name ‘GGICO’ originally came from the Gulf General Investment Company — a Dubai Financial Market-listed public firm that’s been around since 1973. Naming stations after companies isn’t anything new either — just look at stations like Insurance Market, Equiti, and the latest one to join the club, Al Fardan Exchange.
The station’s new name — Al Garhoud — now reflects its actual location. Naming stations after neighborhoods or major landmarks is the go-to move in Dubai, with spots like Financial Centre, Burj Khalifa, BurJuman, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Internet City, Al Nahda, and DIP all following the same vibe. The latest name change officially kicks in today, April 14.
All this renaming…
Just before this, back in March, the RTA switched up Al Khail Metro Station’s name to Al Fardan Exchange Metro Station — marking the first of two renames in just one month. And if we rewind a bit further, Mashreq Station got a rebrand too, becoming InsuranceMarket in September 2024. Dubai Metro’s been on a bit of a name-changing streak lately.
According to the RTA, the makeover isn’t stopping at just the names — over the coming months, they’ll be rolling out updates across the board, from internal systems to external signage and name boards throughout the Dubai Metro network.
From April through the end of June 2025, the RTA will be rolling out updated station names across the entire Metro network — both on outdoor signs and indoor directional signage. The new names will also go live on digital systems, the RTA’s public transport apps, and even onboard audio announcements, both before and as trains pull into stations, according to the RTA.
The RTA kicked off the Dubai Metro station naming rights initiative back in 2009 — a global first at the time. Since then, name changes have become a pretty regular thing along the Metro line, usually based on either the station’s location or a sponsoring brand.
According to Gulf Business, locking down naming rights for a station can cost up to AED 40 million for a 10-year stretch, depending on where it’s located. That’s some serious branding power.
@rta_dubai   Â
