By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
What are Dubai’s paid parking hours?
Dubai parking timings are simple: public parking is paid from 8 am to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday. Overnight, from 10 pm to 8 am, Parkin’s 2025 tariff lists parking as free. Always check the zone sign, because a few areas set their own hours.
Is parking free on Sundays and public holidays?
On most roadside zones, yes. Gulf News reports that free Sundays and public holidays were kept in several zones, including Mirdif. Malls and hotel car parks run their own charges. Check the UAE public holidays guide for the dates, and the Ramadan timings page, because hours change in the holy month.
How do zones and codes work?
Every paid street has a code, such as 251C and 251D in Mirdif, 365N at Gate Avenue-Al Khail or Zone F in Al Sufouh. The code sets the hourly rate and the maximum for the day. Examples from Gulf News:
- Al Sufouh (Zone F): AED 4 an hour.
- Mirdif 251C and 251D: AED 2 an hour off-peak, AED 4 at peak.
- Karama and Maritime City (WP zones): AED 4 off-peak, AED 6 at peak.
How much do premium and peak spaces cost?
From 4 April 2025, Parkin charges more at peak: 8 to 10 am and 4 to 8 pm. Premium spaces are AED 6 an hour in those windows and other public spaces are AED 4. These windows match Dubai’s rush hour and the Salik toll peak, so the busiest roads cost most to park on as well.
How much does event parking cost?
Parkin set an event tariff of AED 25 an hour in zones 335X, 336X and 337X around the Dubai World Trade Centre from 17 February 2025. It applies during scheduled events only. Private car parks at venues set their own prices, which change by event. Our guide to parking and drop-off at the World Trade Centre covers that venue.
How do you pay?
Pay with the Parkin app, by SMS or at the meter, entering your plate and the zone code. SMS formats change, so follow the instructions on the zone sign. We have not confirmed the current SMS number here, so rely on the sign.
Where do you park at Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and DXB?
Each car park sets its own charges, so no single Parkin tariff covers them. Mall operators and Dubai Airports publish their own rates and rules. Check the operator’s site on the day before you drive.
At DXB there is no pick-up area at Arrivals, so read the airport pickup parking guide. For Dubai Mall, the Dubai Mall pickup points guide shows where a driver can meet you.
Skip the parking
At a big venue, the quickest way in is a driver who drops you at the door. A car with driver waits nearby, collects you on a call and avoids the exit queue. For evening events, a limousine service or a wider chauffeur service handles the full evening. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp. Visitors who rent a car should read the guide to driving in Dubai as a tourist, and the airport pickup parking guide explains the rules at DXB.
More on the city in the Dubai travel guide, and tolls in the Salik guide.
Photos in this guide
A Dubai pay-and-display parking machine beside a parking lot with carsPriyag / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The road outside the Dubai World Trade Centre area with the Dubai skyline behindHawkeye7 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A shaded car park in Dubai with covered bays and cars in rowsMahmoud Farrag / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Dubai Metro station beside Sheikh Zayed Road at the World Trade Centre, an alternative to parkingCreativesaravana / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
