Access to Souk Al Marfa at Deira Islands, the waterfront souk and marketplace by Nakheel is now even easier, thanks to a new abra and ferry station launched under a new partnership between Nakheel and the Road Transport Authority (RTA), with free rides available to all visitors in the first five months.

With two routes, connecting Souk Al Marfa to Dubai’s Old Souq and Deira Old Souq, the 25-minute abra journey operates from 5 pm to 10 pm on weekdays, and 10 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). The 20-minute ferry trip runs between Souk Al Marfa and Al Ghubaiba from 6 pm to 10 pm on weekends only (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

Celebrating and connecting Dubai’s oldest most traditional trading hub with the city’s newest island development, the abra and ferry journeys will offer views of the Deira Corniche, DeiraOld Souq, Dubai Creek and the Gold Souq, providing an enjoyable and scenic experience for families looking to explore the city.

Muath Abdelkader AlRais, General Manager of Souk Al Marfa said: “The new abra and ferry service brings a new and memorable way for local residents and visitors from further afield to reach our newest retail destination. It’s part of our commitment to continually enhancing Souk Al Marfa as a key retail and entertainment destination in Dubai.”

Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer at Public Transport Agency at Roads and Transport Authority added: “We are pleased to join forces with Nakheel to launch the abra and ferry service, the city’s most traditional mode of transport. This transportation method is an exciting new way to access Souk Al Marfa in an easy and seamless way and is in line with the comprehensive marine transport plan 2020 – 2030, which aims to enhance the service model as well as support Dubai’s strategic objective of improving over all quality of life.

“The Roads and Transport Authority is working to develop the public and tourist marine transport sector with the aim of serving residents and visitors and ensuring customer satisfaction across the city. The marine transport services include both the ferry and abra service as well as the water taxi service on demand,” continued Bahrozyan.

For more information and details of trips, destinations and services, please visit the authority’s website: www.rta.ae or the RTA’s smart applications.

More than 900 shops currently operate at Souk Al Marfa with another 200 set to open soon across various categories such as carpets, lights, spices, fashion, electronics, as well as the authentic Thai and Persian markets. Visitors can also enjoy the mega sale, with discounts and offers across the destination, until 27 February.

The 15.3 square kilometre Deira Islands is transforming Dubai’s Deira district into a world-class hub for tourism, retail and entertainment. The project has added 40 km, including 21 km of beachfront, to Dubai’s coastline, and paved the way for the development of new hotels, resorts, serviced apartments and retail and leisure attractions.

Souk Al Marfa is within easy reach of Riu Dubai and the Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai – the first two resorts to open at Deira Islands.

In line with the new Saturday – Sunday weekend, Souk Al Marfa’s new operating hours are 10 am to 10 pm from Monday to Thursday, 2 pm to 12 midnight on Friday, and 10 am to 12 midnight on Saturday and Sunday.

More information:www.soukalmarfa.ae

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