Three of Dubai’s biggest malls will now use AI to monitor parking violations and safeguard dedicated disabled spaces.
The system is to be used in Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills Mall and Marina Mall after a deal was agreed between Emaar and Parkin, the emirate’s public parking operator.
Parkin will integrate its automatic number plate recognition platform into Emaar's existing infrastructure to target parking spaces for people with disabilities at the relevant locations.
Once a vehicle parks in a dedicated space, Parkin’s AI-driven enforcement system will automatically scan the registration plate to verify the presence of a valid permit. If no valid permit is identified, the potential contravention will be flagged to a Parkin inspector at the company’s command centre.
Following this review, where appropriate, a penalty notice may be issued. To help reduce genuine cases of accidental disabled parking, a short grace period will be applied to allow the vehicle to be relocated.
The aim is to improve traffic flow and ensure specialist parking spaces are used correctly.
In addition to its camera-based enforcement technology, Parkin will conduct field inspections across the three sites to ensure compliance with Dubai’s parking regulations.
Surging profits
In February, Parkin reported record revenue and profit for the fourth quarter of 2025, on the back of an increased number of paid-for parking spaces across the city.
Net profit rose 53 per cent to Dh183.6 million ($50 million) in the final three months of 2025, marking a 47 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
On a full-year basis, revenue increased to Dh1.32 billion, up 43 per cent year-on-year, while net profit reached Dh625.5 million, representing a 48 per cent annual increase.
Parkin manages the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority's on-street spaces across the city and a growing number of spaces in developer-built communities.
Parkin also said it anticipates “expanding the public parking portfolio by approximately 5,500 to 7,500 spaces over the course of 2026”, which would bring in an additional Dh560 million to Dh610 million.
