Paid parking at Dubai mosques from August except for prayer time

Parkin will operate 2,100 parking spaces across 59 sites

Parking outside mosques will be only be free of charge during prayer time from August. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Parking will be no longer be free near Dubai's mosques, starting in August.

Parkin, the emirate’s public parking operator, will manage about 2,100 parking spaces across 59 sites at Dubai's mosques, it was announced on Thursday.

One hour of parking during prayer time will be free of charge, Dubai Media Office reported. “Operational roll-out is targeted to commence in August 2025,” the media office said on X.

Parkin said in a post on X that the move "paves the way for smarter and fairer mobility solutions that support community needs and Dubai’s vision for future urban living".

In April, Parkin’s variable fees came into effect across Dubai. Peak pricing applies for six of the 14 chargeable hours each day, from 8am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm. Unlike the new zone, Sundays and public holidays are often exempt from charges.

Tariffs during the off-peak hours of 10am to 4pm and from 8pm to 10pm remain unchanged. Parking will continue to be free from 10pm to 8am. Public parking in Dubai is mostly divided into four zones: A, B, C and D.

Earlier this month, Parkin announced a new 24-hour paid parking zone has been introduced in Al Khail Gate, Dubai. Users are charged a daily rate of Dh30 ($8.16), including on Sundays.

What is Parkin?

The company, set up in January 2024 to manage the emirate’s parking infrastructure, has asked drivers to check updated zone codes when parking or to refer to the Parkin website and app.

Parkin manages more than 200,000 paid parking spaces across Dubai, including public parking and multistorey car parks, as well as some privately owned spaces under long-term contracts.

The company's other revenue streams include enforcement and issuance of seasonal permits and parking reservations. Its revenue jumped by nearly a third in February because of an increase in the number of fines issued in the final three months of 2024.

Parkin said it enforced about 509,000 fines in the final quarter of 2024, an increase of 60 per cent from the 317,400 fines handed out in the last three months of 2023. The amount collected in fines rose to Dh77 million in the final quarter of 2024, rising from Dh44.8 million in the last three months of the previous year.