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Everything you need to know about how to park in Dubai
Dubai is a fast-growing cosmopolitan city, with many immigrants of all origins and backgrounds, further facilitating economic and cultural growth. Dubai is consequently very huge, and the public transport infrastructure is somewhat lacking; therefore, a car is a means of transportation of choice for the lion’s share of Dubai residents. Dubai car parking can, however, be inconvenient and complex, and it can be hard to find the right parking spot, especially during peak hours.
To be able to accommodate everyone, an extensive parking infrastructure was developed by the Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) to streamline and increase the efficiency of traffic, with multiple parking zones in Dubai. However, Dubai parking zone is not universal – there are multiple types of parking zones in Dubai suiting different needs, each having its designation and parking fee.
In Dubai, therefore, it is necessary to know the details of the parking system to be able to navigate the city comfortably. Consequently, this article elaborates on the RTA Dubai parking features, like parking zones map, parking charges in Dubai, Dubai parking time, free parking, and even explains how to pay for parking in Dubai.
All the paid parking areas in Dubai are divided into designated zones. There are 3 subgroups:
Each zone has its fees (which are paid in local currency – AED – only), and depending on which zone is used, the parking charge for that particular zone will be deducted. The parking is subject to local regulations, which are enforced 24/7.
All roadside parking in designated commercial zones of Dubai is called commercial zone A, which doesn’t need a specific parking card.
RTA parking charges for commercial zone A are as follows:
It is also possible to pay 2 AED for half an hour of parking time.
Zone A is usually available from 8 am to 10 pm with no breaks in between; however, during the holy month of Ramadan, the timings are from 8 am to 6 pm and from 8 pm to 12 am.
Zone B refers to the commercial parking spaces which are less busy and not as crowded as Zone A. Zone B parking cards are also interchangeable with Zone D. Zone B is correspondingly cheaper than its Zone A equivalents.
RTA parking charges for commercial Zone B are as follows:
Zone B is available during the exact timings, as Zone A – 8 am to 10 pm with no breaks in between.
Non-commercial parking zones C and D refer to the parking spaces in non-commercial areas and cover 77 percent of Dubai’s total paid parking spaces.
Zone C refers to the roadside parking in residential, non-commercial areas. To better help drivers identify Zone C, corresponding signboards are set up.
RTA parking charges for non-commercial Zone C are as follows:
Zone C is available from 8 am to 10 pm with no breaks in between.
Zone D, consequently, covers all the parking lots in residential areas and is also pretty cheap, being one of the cheapest parking areas for long-term parking.
RTA parking charges for non-commercial Zone D are as follows:
Zone D can be used from 8 am to 10 pm with no breaks in between.
Zone E is used to designate both the underground and public parking spaces in the Waterfront Market (used to be Deira Fish Market). Please, note, that you should pay only for the ground public parking, meantime the underground parking is free of charge.
Therefore, RTA parking fees for public parking areas in special Zone E are as follows:
You can park your vehicle in Zone E from 8 am to 11 pm with no breaks.
Parking Zone F is a unique area that covers parking spaces in Tecom (new Barsha Heights areas)
RTA parking fees for parking areas in special Zone F are as follows:
You can use the parking space in Zone F from 8 am to 6 pm with no breaks in between.
Designated Parking Zone G covers paid parking spaces in downtown Dubai.
RTA parking fees for parking areas in special Zone G are as follows:
Zone G is available from 8 am to 10 pm with no breaks in between.
It is easy and convenient to pay your parking fees in Dubai, for there are plenty of available options.
You can use coins of either 50 Fil or 1 AED to purchase a ticket you need on the spot via a corresponding parking machine. Don’t forget to place your ticket in a visible spot in your parked car, for example, on the dashboard. It is also possible to pay the same way with RFID banking cards and smartphones with NFC.
The prepaid parking cards can be freely purchased in advance in various grocery stores throughout Dubai. Prepaid cards are available of 30, 50, and 100 AED denominations. After inserting the card in the parking machine, a corresponding parking fee for the zone will then be deducted.
You can also purchase long-term prepaid seasonal parking cards, available in different values and periods of validity (3 months, 6 months, or the whole annum). The seasonal parking cards are ordered online on an RTA website for a zone of your preference, with a car plate number assigned.
There is a mobile parking payment system in Dubai called m. Parking, allows the drivers to pay their parking fees with just an SMS message. The SMS should be sent to 7275, with the format for SMS in Dubai being as follows: number plate-space area code-number of parking hours.
Drivers can additionally opt-in to receive hourly notification to renew parking tickets at an extra fee of 0.3 AED per SMS. The parking charges themselves are deducted from the mobile number, so drivers need to ensure that they have sufficient funds.
There is also an RTA app for smartphones, which allows drivers to pay for parking with ease. You have to download it, register your vehicle, link your bank card, and follow instructions. Additionally, the app has other beneficial perks like helping in finding suitable parking spaces and various points of interest.
Should you violate parking rules, you will be fined. The fines are as follows:
All parking zones are providing free parking opportunities on Fridays and during holidays. There is also free underground parking in Zone E.
There are orange-colored paid parking boards in each parking zone to identify which parking zone you are located in by glancing at them. These information boards also have a list of Dubai parking codes with corresponding areas displayed on them.
Dubai is a fabulous city with plenty of activities and points of interest. Its comprehensive parking system allows you to commute and explore it using a car with great ease. While the parking system may seem hard at first glance, it is rather simple if you take an additional 15 minutes to sort it out. And if you do not currently own a car, we at tlt.ae renting service will be glad to help you.
