If you have left a phone, wallet, bag or document in a Dubai taxi or on the Metro, report it as quickly as you can — ideally within the hour — through the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) lost and found channels, giving the trip details and a precise description of the item. Taxis have trip records and in-vehicle systems and Metro stations log found property centrally, so fast, accurate reports are recovered far more often than vague ones made days later.
Act fast and note the right details
Before you report, write down everything you remember. For a taxi: the approximate pickup and drop-off times and locations, the taxi’s roof colour or company if you noticed it, the vehicle or plate number from your receipt or app booking, and whether you paid by card — a card transaction helps the RTA trace the exact trip. For the Metro: the station where you boarded and left, the direction and time of travel, and the carriage area if you know it.
Describe the item in a way only the owner would know: brand, colour, case, lock-screen photo for a phone, or a distinctive mark inside a bag. Do not publish your full passport or card numbers in any public post or social media appeal; give identifying details only to the official RTA channel.
- Taxi trip receipt, Nol or app booking history, or card payment reference
- Exact times and route as closely as you can reconstruct them
- Detailed item description and, for devices, the serial or IMEI number if you have it
- Your Emirates ID or passport for collection, and a contact number you will actually answer
Step-by-step: reporting
- Call the RTA call centre on 800 9090 or use the RTA website, S’hail app or Dubai Police lost property channels as directed, and open a lost item case with your trip details.
- For a Metro item, you can also report directly at any station — staff will log it and check whether it was handed in on that line.
- For a taxi item, the RTA contacts the driver and franchise company to search the vehicle at the end of the trip or shift; keep your case number.
- Respond promptly when contacted — found items are identified by matching your description, so answer unknown numbers for the next 48 hours.
- Collect in person at the nominated centre or station with your ID and case reference, check the item in front of staff, and sign the release form.
Reporting is free, and there is no fee to reclaim your own property through the official channel. Treat anyone who contacts you privately demanding a payment to return an item as a warning sign and refer them to the RTA case. If a driver or a service returns an item via an official courier at your request, any delivery charge should be agreed and receipted — as a guide, only pay a courier fee you have arranged yourself.
Protect yourself while you wait
If the lost item is a phone, use Find My Device to lock it and display your alternate number, and tell your bank immediately if cards were in the same wallet. A lost Emirates ID or passport should also be reported to the police and the issuing authority for a replacement, even if you hope the original turns up — you can withdraw the replacement process if it is found quickly, but you cannot undo misuse of an unreported document. Valuable items not claimed within the RTA’s stated holding period are disposed of under its policy, so do not leave collection for weeks.
Prevention is worth a minute on every trip. Keep a photo of your taxi receipt or app trip screen, put a contact card inside your wallet and bag, and check the seat and footwell before the door closes — in a taxi, ask the driver to wait a moment while you check. On the Metro, keep bags zipped and in front of you at busy interchanges such as Union and BurJuman, where most losses happen in the rush to change trains. These small habits mean most residents never need the lost property system at all, and if you do, you will already have the details it asks for.
FAQ
How long does it usually take to hear back? If the item was handed in, contact is often within the same day or the next working day as a guide. If the vehicle or train search finds nothing, the case usually remains open for a period in case the item surfaces later.
Can someone else collect my item for me? Yes, in many cases with a written authorisation, a copy of your ID and their own original ID. Confirm the exact requirement when the RTA contacts you.
I used a ride-hailing app car, not an RTA taxi — is it the same process? No. Report through that app’s lost item feature first, which contacts the driver directly. Use the RTA route for RTA taxis, the Metro, buses and trams.
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