Dubai: Government departments have announced their working hours on Thursday which was declared an official holiday on account of Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) birthday.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs will receive customers on Thursday from 9am until 1pm at Al Tawar new centre and Al Manara Centre, while public can call the toll free service ‘Amer’ on 8005111 seven days a week to inquire or to submit urgent transactions.

The external centre of the GDRFA at Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport is open to public seven days a week around the clock.

Major General Mohammad Ahmad Rashid Al Merri, Director General of the GDRFA, said a number of employees have been assigned duties to ensure speedy completion of customers’ urgent transactions. “This procedure comes in implementation of the leadership’s directives that stipulate the need to upgrade the level of services provided to the public.”

Roads and Transport Authority

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will shut down all its customer service centres on Thursday to mark the Prophet’s birthday.

As for vehicle registration centres, only Tasjeel Al Qusais, Tasjeel Al Barsha, Quick Vehicle Testing and Registration Centre at Al Qusais, and Platinum Vehicle Testing Centre at Dubai Mall will be operational during the holiday.

Parking will be free in Dubai on Thursday across all paid parking zones, except the Deira Fish Market parking area

No changes have been announced on the Dubai Metro timings during the holiday, with both the green line and red line running up to 1am. The Tram will also operate with the usual timings.

For buses, the Gold Souq station will operate from 4.25am to 1am and Al Ghubaiba Station will operate between 5am and 12.10am. The Satwa will offer its services till 11.15pm, except for Route C01, which operates around-the-clock.

Al Qusais Station will open at 4.40am and continue service up to 10.50pm, whereas Jebel Ali Station will be open from 5.40am to 9.45pm.

Intercity bus services to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Fujairah will continue to operate on the usual schedule.

All marine services will also run unchanged.