Dubai Parking Fees 2026
Is Dubai parking paid or free right now? Current standard and premium rates, peak and off-peak hours, free Sunday and holiday rules — verified from official sources.
Parking Now
FREE
No parking charge now
Next change — Paid parking resumes Monday at 08:00
Dubai time 19:36 (Asia/Dubai) · Standard RTA/Parkin public parking only
Key Facts
Peak
AED 4.20
Standard / hr
Off-peak
AED 2.10
Standard / hr
Paid hours
08–22
Peak 08:00–10:00 · 16:00–20:00
Sunday
FREE
Standard public parking
Current Rates
| Type | Peak | Off-peak |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Most public parking areas (A–D standard zones). |
AED 4.20/hour | AED 2.10/hour |
| Premium Premium-designated areas (AP/BP/CP/DP etc.). |
AED 6.30/hour | AED 3.15/hour |
Rates shown are current displayed prices (5% VAT included, applied to all Parkin parking services since 1 June 2026). Peak hours: 08:00–10:00 & 16:00–20:00 (Mon–Sat). Off-peak: 10:00–16:00 & 20:00–22:00.
Parking Rules
Paid hours
Monday–Saturday, 08:00–22:00 (14 hours). Standard public parking only.
Source: Parkin DFM disclosure · link
Free on Sunday
Standard public parking is free all day Sunday. Does not apply to multi-storey car parks, Zone N.365 (Al Khail Gate) or private parking.
Source: Parkin DFM disclosure · link
Free overnight
Free overnight 22:00–08:00. Multi-storey car parks remain paid 24/7.
Source: Parkin DFM disclosure · link
Peak hours
08:00–10:00 and 16:00–20:00, Monday–Saturday (excludes Sundays and public holidays).
Source: Parkin DFM disclosure · link
Off-peak hours
10:00–16:00 and 20:00–22:00, Monday–Saturday.
Source: Parkin DFM disclosure · link
Maximum parking duration
Roadside parking is limited to 4 consecutive hours in standard zones (A–D); 24 consecutive hours in plot parking.
Source: Khaleej Times (subscription guide) · link
VAT
5% VAT applies to all Parkin parking services (on/off-street, seasonal cards, permits, reservations) from 1 June 2026.
Source: Parkin press release (Zawya) + Gulf News · link
Cashless meters
Cash payments at parking meters phased out on 1 June 2026. nol cards, card and digital payments remain.
Source: Gulf News June 2026 rules · link
Public holiday free parking
RTA announces free public parking for each public holiday; multi-storey car parks are excluded. Free status is only shown here once an official announcement is confirmed.
Source: RTA announcements via Gulf News/Khaleej Times · link
Multi-storey exception
Public multi-storey car parks operate 24/7 paid (AED 5 + 5% VAT/hour). Sunday, night and holiday free rules do NOT apply.
Source: Gulf News (Parkin multi-storey guide) · link
These rules apply to standard public parking (on-street and off-street) operated under the RTA/Parkin system in Dubai.
Free Parking Rules
- Sunday — standard public parking is free all day.
- Public holidays — RTA announces free public parking for each holiday; multi-storey car parks are excluded. This page only marks a holiday as free once an official announcement is confirmed. Status for 2026:
New Year's Day (01-01): Awaiting confirmationEid al-Fitr (03-19 – 03-22): Free parking confirmedArafat Day (05-25): Free parking confirmedEid al-Adha (05-26 – 05-29): Free parking confirmedIslamic New Year (06-16): Awaiting confirmationProphet Muhammad's Birthday (08-28): Awaiting confirmationUAE National Day (12-02 – 12-03): Awaiting confirmation
- Overnight — free 22:00–08:00.
- Ramadan — special operating hours are announced per year; when verified, they appear in the status above.
Parking Zones: Standard vs Premium
STANDARD
Standard parking
Most public parking areas. Zone codes A, B, C, D and other standard codes. Cheaper tariff applies (see fee table).
PREMIUM
Premium parking
High-demand areas (e.g. parts of Deira and Bur Dubai, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Jumeirah, Al Wasl Road). Marked with a P suffix: AP, BP, CP, DP. Higher tariff applies.
Check your parking sign before paying. Zone codes change (e.g. A became AP where premium). Confirm the zone code displayed on the sign or in the Parkin app before paying — the wrong zone code can result in a fine.
Special codes (reported, may vary by area):
- E, I, J, K, L — Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT)
- F — Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City
- G — Burj Khalifa, Marasi Bay, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai Hills
- H — Dubai Silicon Oasis
- X — World Trade area (AED 25/hour during events)
- W — Karama, Al Qusais, Madinat Dubai, Al Melaheya (flat AED 4/hour reported)
- N.365 — Al Khail Gate (paid 24/7, no free Sunday)
This list is not exhaustive. Premium-zone designation is decided by RTA and can change — always check the sign at the location.
How to Pay
- Parkin app — official app with Parkin Wallet and AutoPay for multi-storey car parks.
- SMS / mParking — send an SMS to 7275 (PARK):
[plate code] [plate number] [zone code] [duration]. WhatsApp payment to 7275 is also offered. - Parking machines — at parking locations. Cash payments were phased out on 1 June 2026; card and nol payments remain.
- nol card — accepted at parking machines.
- RTA Dubai app and Dubai Now app — digital payment options.
SMS payments carry an additional charge — exact amount not published on official sources used here; the Parkin app avoids it.
Exceptions — Not All Parking Is the Same
These rules apply to Dubai public parking managed under the RTA/Parkin system. They may NOT apply to:
- Private parking — privately operated lots and buildings with their own pricing.
- Shopping malls — e.g. Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates (separate mall parking policies).
- Airports — DXB and DWC airport parking (separate tariff).
- DIFC / private developments — developer-owned parking with own rates.
- Multi-storey car parks — 8 public multi-storey facilities (Al Ghubaiba, Al Sabkha, Naif, Oud Metha, Al Satwa, Al Rigga, Bani Yas, Al Jaffiliya) operate 24/7 paid: AED 5 + 5% VAT/hour, AED 40 + 5% VAT/24h. Free Sunday/night/holiday rules do not apply.
- Special event parking — higher rates apply near major event venues during events (e.g. AED 25/hour in the World Trade area).
Sources
Parkin Company PJSC — Variable Parking Tariff Policy disclosure (DFM, 29 Nov 2024): feeds.dfm.ae →
Parkin press release — 5% VAT on parking services from 1 June 2026: zawya.com →
RTA Dubai — parking zones and services: rta.ae →
Parkin — variable tariff & payment info: parkin.ae → · SMS/WhatsApp →
Last verified: 12 August 2026 · Prices and rules change by official announcement; this page is reviewed when new announcements are published.