At our car rental, RentDrive.ae, we understand how confusing the parking can get, whether you are a visitor or a local. If you are planning to rent a car in Dubai, consider our car rental service, where we provide you with complete details regarding all parking rules.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently introduced changes to the parking system, which include variable tariff policies and some new zone classifications. This article will cover everything about parking fees and how you can avoid the hefty parking costs.
Understanding Dubai’s New Variable Parking Tariff System
As April 2025 approached, Dubai’s RTA announced a variable parking tariff policy that adjusts rates based on demand and time of day. From February 2025, public parking near high-traffic event zones, such as the Dubai World Trade Centre, will mean a charge of Dh25 per hour to manage the surge in demand during exhibitions, festivals, and conferences.
Dubai Peak and Off-Peak Parking Hours
The peak and off-peak parking hours of Dubai are stated as follows:
Peak Hours (Mon–Sat)
- 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Premium Zones: AED 6/hour
- Standard Public Parking: AED 4/hour
Off-Peak Hours (Mon–Sat)
- 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- All zones charged AED 4/hour
Free Parking Hours (Unchanged)
- 10:00 PM – 8:00 AM
- All day Sundays, including the public holidays
Dubai Parking Zones and their Parking Rates
This section will cover all about the Dubai parking zones and the parking rates in the peak and off-peak hours. The zones A, B, C, and D mostly cover the public parking. Let’s discuss each parking zone in greater detail.
Zone A
Zone A is designated for the roadside parking in the most congested areas of Dubai, like downtown Dubai.
Timing
The timings for the Zone A parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Sunday. However, the Ramadan timings vary a bit as they are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 12:00 am.
Location
Downtown Dubai and the busiest city areas.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff | Premium Tariff (Peak Hours) |
| 1 hour | 4 AED | 6 AED |
| 2 hours | 8 AED | 12 AED |
| 3 hours | 12 AED | 18 AED |
| 4 hours | 16 AED | 24 AED |
Zone B
Zone B timings are similar to those of Zone A, but they are charged less and are meant for the commercial areas of Dubai. They are comparatively in lesser demand as compared to zone A but are still perfect for key locations.
Timings
The timings for the Zone B parking are the same as those of the Zone A parking.
Location
Busy parts of the city but less in demand as compared to the Zone A.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) | Premium Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) |
| 1 hour | 3 AED / 4 AED | 3 AED / 6 AED |
| 2 hours | 6 AED / 8 AED | 6 AED / 12 AED |
| 3 hours | 9 AED / 12 AED | 9 AED / 18 AED |
| 4 hours | 12 AED / 16 AED | 12 AED / 24 AED |
| Full Day | 20 AED / 30 AED | 40 AED |
Zone C
Zone C is known for non-commercial areas, which mainly include the residential areas. The payment is done by the RTA Dubai system.
Timings
The timings for the Zone C parking are the same as those of the Zone A and Zone B parking.
Location
Non-commercial areas and roadside lots within residential districts
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) | Premium Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) |
| 1 hour | 2 AED / 4 AED | 2 AED / 6 AED |
| 2 hours | 5 AED / 8 AED | 5 AED / 12 AED |
| 3 hours | 8 AED / 12 AED | 8 AED / 18 AED |
| 4 hours | 11 AED / 16 AED | 11 AED / 24 AED |
Zone D
Zone D is also dedicated to non-commercial areas. It includes residential districts such as Al Qusais and Al Nahda. These parking areas are among the cheapest and offer the most affordable parking costs.
Timing
The timings for Zone D parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Sunday. However, the Ramadan timings vary a bit as they are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 12:00 am.
Location
Residential districts, including Al Qusais and Al Nahda areas
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) | Premium Tariff (Off-Peak/Peak) |
| 1 hour | 2 AED / 4 AED | 2 AED / 6 AED |
| 2 hours | 4 AED / 8 AED | 4 AED / 12 AED |
| 3 hours | 5 AED / 12 AED | 6 AED / 18 AED |
| 4 hours | 7 AED / 16 AED | 7 AED / 24 AED |
| Full Day | 10 AED / 20 AED | 30 AED |
Zone E
Zone E parking lots are usually located in open air, and the underground garages, where a lot of underground spaces, offer free parking. There are extended operating hours compared to other zones (closes at 11 PM).
Timing
The timings for Zone E parking are from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm from Monday to Saturday. However, the Ramadan timings vary a bit as they are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 12:00 am.
Location
Open-air and underground garage facilities
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 1 hour | 4 AED |
| 2 hours | 8 AED |
| 3 hours | 12 AED |
| 4 hours | 16 AED |
Zone F
This category includes many parking lots in Tecom. These parking spaces have reduced working hours. They open at 8:00 am, but due to reduced hours, they close early around 6:00 pm.
Timing
The timings for Zone F parking are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Location
Tecom area parking spaces.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 1 hour | 2 AED |
| 2 hours | 5 AED |
| 3 hours | 8 AED |
| 4 hours | 11 AED |
Zone G & H
Zones G and H have the same parking costs. Zone G includes paid parking areas in the most popular parts of Dubai. Some of them are located near Burj Khalifa, Marasi Bay, and other important locations. On the other hand, Zone H features parking areas located in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
Timing
The timings for Zone G & H parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Saturday. These spaces allow parking for 30 minutes.
Location
- Zone G: Popular areas near Burj Khalifa, Marasi Bay, and other key city spots
- Zone H: Dubai Silicon Oasis areas
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 1 hour | 4 AED |
| 2 hours | 8 AED |
| 3 hours | 12 AED |
| 4 hours | 16 AED |
Zone I
Zone I parking is located in the Jumeirah Lake Tower area. The remaining three parking lots are in the same area. Zone I parking is the most in-demand, and the maximum parking time here is limited to three hours.
Timing
The timings for Zone I parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Saturday.
Location
Jumeirah Lake Tower area.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 1 hour | 10 AED |
| 2 hours | 20 AED |
| 3 hours | 30 AED |
Zone J
Similarly to Zone I, the maximum usage of these parking lots is limited to three hours. Zone J allows for 30-minute parking options and is located in the same area as that of Zone I and Zone K.
Timing
The timings for Zone J parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Saturday, with the maximum parking time of 30 minutes.
Location
Jumeirah Lake Tower area.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 30 minutes | 2 AED |
| 1 hour | 4 AED |
| 2 hours | 8 AED |
| 3 hours | 12 AED |
Zone K
Zone K has parking areas located near the tourist attractions, beaches, and recreational zones. It is also found in the high-footfall areas where long-term parking is allowed. This is not allowed in Zones I and J as they have a 3-hour limit.
Timing
The timings for Zone K parking are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm from Monday to Saturday.
Location
Tourist attractions, beaches, recreational zones, and high-footfall areas.
Price Breakdown
| Duration | Standard Tariff |
| 30 minutes | 2 AED |
| 1 hour | 4 AED |
| 2 hours | 8 AED |
| 3 hours | 12 AED |
| 4 hours | 16 AED |
| 5 hours | 20 AED |
| 6 hours | 24 AED |
| 7 hours | 28 AED |
| 24 hours | 32 AED |
Parking Lot Categories
There are mainly two categories of Parking lots in Dubai. Each has its purpose. These broad categories help in the fair pricing and the right organization of the parking system.
Category 1 Parking Lot
The category one parking lot includes the areas in Dubai that are the busiest, mainly the central areas where there is greater traffic, causing a surge in parking rates. These can be found in Dubai Marina, Deira, Jumeirah, and Bur Dubai areas. Some other areas that are assigned to this category are Port Saeed, Oud Metha, Al Souq Al Kabeer, Jumeirah Beach, and the Dubai World Trade Center. Other areas are Port Saeed, Oud Metha, Al Souq Al Kabeer, and Dubai World Trade Center.
Category Two Parking Lot
The second category parking lots are less crowded, and their prices do not show much fluctuation. But the exception exists for the multi-story parking spaces, which might raise the rates to 5 AED for an hour. These are applicable to areas such as the Dubai Media City or the Dubai Internet City, where the parking options are affordable.
What are Some Ways you can Pay the Parking fee?
The payment system for the parking fees is quite intuitive, so you do not have to spend a lot of time figuring out the payment system. In this section, we will cover all the ways you can pay your parking fees in Dubai.
- RTA Applications: These applications are available for both Android and iOS, and you can download them through Google Play and the App Store. It utilizes the GPS parking locator and history to make the payment convenient for the public.
- Parking Machines Accepting Coins: A lot of parking lots in Dubai have parking machines that accept coins at street meters and later print out the tickets after you have paid the fee.
- Credit/Debit Cards: The parking machines also accept these cards that come with the RFID chips.
- Payment through WhatsApp: You can also pay through WhatsApp, where the parking fee will be deducted from your payment balance, considering that you are using the local SIM.
- SMS Payments: There is also an option for SMS payments. This works by you sending a message to 7275 in the accurate format, including the license plate number, the number of the parking area, and the number of hours. Considering that your format is correct, you will get a notification of payment deducted from your phone balance.
- ‘Pay by Plate’ via license plate billing
- NOL cards: NOL cards are very easy to use, especially if you park regularly in Dubai. After you get the card, you need to top up its balance. The tariff then gets deducted from your balance.
- Seasonal cards such as eParking and Salik cards: Seasonal cards are available for Zones A and B. They do not come with the face value but offer unlimited parking. You can choose from three, six, or 12 months.
- NFC: NFC, also known as near field communication, is a contactless payment method that can be used by you by activating NFC on your phone and linking a bank card. You just need to bring your phone near the terminal, and the payment will be automatically done.
What are Some Parking Violation Fines?
Dubai has one of the strictest parking rules, so a citizen is required to follow these rules in order to avoid hefty fines. Below is the table that summarizes the fines regarding different violations.
Dubai Parking Fines Structure
| Violation Type | Fine Amount (AED) | Description |
| Time Limit Violations | 100 | Exceeding the maximum allowed parking duration in designated zones |
| Overstaying in Paid Areas | 100 | Remaining in a parking space beyond the paid period |
| Payment Non-Compliance | 150 | Failure to pay parking fees or not displaying the parking ticket visibly |
| Pedestrian Area Parking | 200 | Parking on sidewalks or blocking pedestrian walkways |
| Facility Misuse | 200 | Blocking access to parking facilities or improper use of parking spaces |
| Prohibited Zone Parking | 200 | Parking in areas where parking is strictly forbidden |
| No License Plate | 1,000 | Operating or parking a vehicle without proper license plate registration |
| Property Damage | 1,000 | Damaging parking meters, signage, or parking infrastructure |
| Disability Space Misuse | 1,000 | Unauthorized use of disabled parking spaces or using expired permits |
| Reserved Space Violations | 1,000 | Parking in designated reserved areas without proper authorization |
| Unauthorized Umbrella Use | 1,000 | Installing portable umbrellas over vehicles without appropriate permits |
What Advice RentDrive.ae Company Can Give you to avoid the parking fee?
At RentDrive.ae, we can give you the following advice to avoid the parking fee:
- If you have a flexible schedule, you may park during the off-peak hours.
- Some locations, such as the malls and beaches, give you free parking.
- Some events, such as the festivals, concerts, and games, have their own parking zones giving special rates, but they may fill up quickly.
- You must always look for the signs to avoid the fines. Dedicated zones have parking spots for visitors and residents, so you may always check the rules before parking.
- Some parking areas are near metro stations, making it convenient for you to change to public transit. This can be a really useful tip if you are going to some sort of event or a rushy area.
Dubai’s 2025 parking system is well-maintained to support urban mobility. If you rent a car in Dubai, you should understand these parking regulations to have a better driving experience. Our car rental, RentDrive.ae, is committed to providing you not just with the luxurious vehicles but also the right knowledge to enjoy the wondrous city. With this detailed guide, you will be well equipped to make the most of your rental experience in Dubai.
