‘Your red roof Toyota Camry is on the way.’

If you live in Dubai, it’s pretty likely you’ve received a message like this on Careem, or flagged down a brightly coloured taxi on the street.

There are more than 12,000 taxis all over the city, whizzing you around from A to B with those brightly coloured roofs.

But have you ever thought about why those colours are there? Have you ever questioned what’s the difference between a red roof and a green roof? Does it matter?

Well, we’ve got the answers for you.

It’s time to decode those colours and tell you exactly what each of those Dubai taxi roofs mean.

Why are Dubai taxi roofs different colours?

The taxi roofs have been like this for years, but they weren’t always like this. In fact, the taxis all used to look very different.

This was because they all belonged to different private companies, all operating in Dubai. However in the late 2000s, a decision was made to make all of the vehicles the same sand colour, with only the roof colour designating the company.

And that is how the coloured roofs were born. By keeping all vehicles looking in uniform with one another, passengers and officials could still tell the companies apart if there was a lost item or complaint.

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All working for RTA, the private companies all use the same rate for journeys, so although they differ on colour, they will never differ on price.

So what does each stand for? Let’s dive into it.

Red Dubai taxi roof: Dubai Taxi Corporation

It’s likely that you will have seen this one the most often, as it’s the largest taxi company in Dubai.

A subsidiary of the Roads and Transport Organisation (RTA), the red roofs make up the majority of taxis on the roads.

If you’re looking to book one, you can do so by calling 800 88088, or by using the DTC app or Careem app.

Blue Dubai taxi roof: Cars Taxi

The first franchised company to operate taxis in Dubai, Cars Taxi has been around since April 2000. Today, they use both petrol and hybrid vehicles.

If you’re looking to book one, call 04 269 3344 or book using the Careem app.

Green Dubai taxi roof: Arabia Taxi

Arabia Taxi came on the scene in 2005 and started with 500 taxis. Since then, the fleet has almost doubled.

Working with the RTA, the company are all about using environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles to provide a smooth service.

If you’re looking to book, call 04 285 1111 or book using the Careem app.

Yellow Dubai taxi roof: National Taxi

This Dubai taxi roof represents National Taxi, which was first established in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2000.

Starting out with only 50 taxis, there are now more than 1700 in total, providing services in both Emirates.

If you would like to book a yellow roof, you can call 04 339 0002 or book on the Careem app.

Orange Dubai taxi roof: Metro Taxi

You might not see orange roofs as often as the rest, as Metro Taxi have a much smaller fleet.

Also a franchise of the RTA, you can book the cars in the same way as any of the other colours.

If you would like to book an orange roof, call 04 267 3222 or book via the Careem app.

Pink Dubai taxi roof: Women’s Taxi

Part of the Dubai Taxi Company, the pink roof resembles cars that are for women-only, or for a woman with children.

Not as common as the rest, the taxi drivers of this fleet are also women, designed to offer a comfortable journey and peace of mind for women from any nationality.

If you would like to book a pink roof, call 800 88088, or by using the DTC app.

What is a hala taxi?

You might have heard the phrase hala taxi, and thought that this was another brand or type of car.

But to clear things up, hala taxi is actually the booking platform that most people will use to book an RTA taxi on the Careem app.

A partnership between RTA and Careem, ‘hala’ is simply how you book the taxi, not a different type of taxi.

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