Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has awarded Garmin the naming rights to the former ONPASSIVE Metro Station under a 10-year agreement, giving the global technology brand a prominent place on one of the city’s busiest transport networks.
The station will now be known as Garmin Metro Station, adding another international company to Dubai’s long-running Metro Station Naming Rights Initiative.
The agreement was secured through AMIT Retail LLC, Garmin’s exclusive distributor in the UAE, with Hypermedia involved in the deal and Mada Media overseeing the naming rights programme under its concession arrangement with RTA.
Garmin Metro Station Becomes Part of Dubai’s Red Line
The renamed station sits on the Dubai Metro Red Line and will gradually adopt the Garmin identity across physical and digital passenger touchpoints. RTA said the transition will run from September until the end of November 2026, covering internal and external directional signs, transport applications, smart systems and onboard audio announcements.
For commuters, the change will mainly mean getting used to a new station name. For Garmin, though, the value is much bigger. The brand will appear on maps, journey planners, station signage and announcements used every day by residents and visitors across Dubai.
Dubai Turns Public Infrastructure Into Long-Term Brand Platforms
Dubai’s metro naming programme has been operating since 2009, but deals such as Garmin’s show how the concept has grown beyond standard advertising. A station name becomes part of daily navigation, which gives a brand repeated exposure over a much longer period than a conventional campaign.
RTA also uses the programme to create additional commercial value from public infrastructure while bringing private companies closer to Dubai’s transport ecosystem. That makes the initiative both a branding opportunity and another example of how the emirate builds partnerships between government entities and the private sector.
Garmin Deal Signals Continued Private-Sector Investment in Dubai
Garmin is widely known for GPS navigation, fitness wearables, smartwatches and technology used in aviation, marine, outdoor and health-related markets. Its move into Dubai Metro naming rights gives the company a highly visible presence in a city where international brands compete heavily for attention.
The agreement also reflects continued private-sector confidence in Dubai as a commercial market. Through AMIT Retail, Garmin has already built a presence in the UAE, and the station naming deal pushes that visibility further into everyday public life.
Why Dubai Metro Naming Rights Appeal to Investors
Dubai Metro naming rights offer something that most advertising formats cannot easily match: long-term repetition. Brands attached to stations become part of route maps, digital journey tools, transport signage and spoken announcements, creating daily exposure across a wide audience.
For businesses expanding in the UAE, that visibility can support brand recognition while connecting the company with Dubai’s infrastructure, mobility network and wider investment environment. It also creates room for future campaigns, activations and commercial partnerships linked to the station itself.
Public-Private Partnerships Remain Central to Dubai’s Growth Model
The Garmin agreement also fits into Dubai’s broader approach to public-private cooperation. Rather than treating public infrastructure only as a government asset, the emirate increasingly uses it as a platform for commercial participation and private-sector investment.
RTA has said that its naming rights initiative supports stronger cooperation with the business community and aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. That connection matters because Dubai continues to position private-sector growth as a central part of its long-term economic strategy.
What the Agreement Means for Dubai’s Business Environment
For companies operating in Dubai’s free zones, mainland business districts and regional headquarters, the agreement shows how the emirate continues to expand the commercial value around infrastructure.
Businesses are not only choosing Dubai for licensing, logistics or market access. They are also finding ways to build visibility through transport networks, events, retail locations and major public assets. The Garmin Metro Station deal is another example of how branding and infrastructure increasingly overlap in the city.
Dubai Builds a Bigger Commercial Ecosystem Around Mobility
Garmin Metro Station is ultimately part of a much larger story about how Dubai uses mobility to support economic activity. The metro links residential areas, tourism districts, commercial centres and major business hubs, making it a central part of the city’s daily movement.
By attaching commercial partnerships to that network, Dubai adds another layer of value to its transport infrastructure. Garmin gains a decade of visibility, while the city strengthens a model that connects mobility, investment and private-sector participation.
The station name may be changing, but the broader strategy is familiar. Dubai continues finding new ways to turn major infrastructure into part of its wider business and investment ecosystem.
Sources
Dubai Media Office
https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/september/07-09/rta-grants-garmin-10-year-naming-rights-for-onpassive-metro-station
Roads and Transport Authority Dubai
https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/news-and-media/all-news/NewsDetails/granting-garmin-10-year-naming-rights-for-onpassive-metro-station
Emirates News Agency
https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c24l2eo-rta-grants-garmin-10-year-naming-rights-for