Dubai: Government departments have announced their timings for the long weekend, from Thursday to Saturday, which comes in celebration of the 45th National Day.
This year, National Day falls on a Friday, which is a regular weekend off day, together with Saturday. To facilitate the celebrations, Thursday has also been declared a public holiday for this edition of the occasion.
However, some departments are keeping staggered working hours over the long weekend. Meanwhile, public parking will be free from Thursday to Saturday in Dubai.
On Thursday, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai will be open from 9am to 1pm. Its branches in Al Twar, Al Manara, and Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport are open 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Dubai Metro’s Red Line stations will operate on Thursday from 5.30am to 1am and on Friday from 10am to 1am (of the following day).
The Green Line Metro stations will operate on Thursday from 5.50am to 1am and on Friday from 10am to 1am.
Dubai Tram will operate on Thursday from 6.30am to 1am and on Friday from 9am to 1am (of the following day).
Public bus stations, including main stations such as the Gold Souq, will open from 4.25am to midnight.
All emergency departments at government hospitals will work as usual over the break. In Dubai, the Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) will remain closed from Thursday to Saturday, except for Al Barsha and Nad Al Hamar health centres, which will remain open round the clock.
Timings
Parking
Abu Dhabi
Free parking hours will start from midnight on Thursday, December 1, until 8am on Sunday, December 4. The public should adhere to the regulations regarding the resident permit parking bays from 9pm to 8am.
Dubai
All paid parking zones in Dubai, except for Fish Market and multilevel parking lots, will be free of charge from Thursday and the fees system will be reinstated on Sunday.
Sharjah
Sharjah Municipality announced that use of paid parking zones across the city will be free from December 1 to 3. Paid parking resumes on December 4.
Transport
Dubai Metro
The Red Line Metro stations will operate on Thursday from 5.30am to 1am and on Friday from 10am to 1am (of the following day).
The Green Line Metro stations will operate on Thursday from 5.50am to 1am and on Friday from 10am to 1am.
Dubai Tram
The tram will operate on Thursday from 6.30am to 1am and on Friday from 9am to 1am (of the following day).
Dubai public buses
Public bus stations, including main stations such as the Gold Souq, will open from 4.25am to midnight. Al Ghubaiba Station will open from 4.30am to midnight.
Subsidiary stations, such as Satwa station, will operate from 4.57am to midnight except for Route C01, which will be operating round the clock. Al Ghusais station will open from 4.40am to 11.30pm, Al Quoz Industrial Area station from 5.30am to 11.30pm, and Jebel Ali station from 5am to 11.30pm.
Metro feeder bus service at Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Burj Khalifa, Etisalat and Abu Hail stations will operate from 5am to 12.20am.
Hospitals and clinics (Dubai Health Authority)
Latifa Hospital
The emergency department will remain open as usual 24 hours a day, while the paediatric walk-in clinics will operate as usual during weekends and public holidays.
Hatta Hospital
The emergency department will remain open as usual 24 hours a day, while the family medicine clinic will operate from 7am to 9pm.
Dubai Hospital
The clinics will remain closed during the public holiday in Dubai Hospital, while the accident and emergency section will function as usual.
Rashid Hospital
All specialist clinics will be remain closed during the public holiday, but the emergency department and walk-in clinic will function normally as per the duty rota.
Primary Health Care Centres
All PHCs will remain closed from December 1 and resume work on December 4, except for Al Barsha and Nad Al Hamar health centres, which will remain open 24 hours.
Immigration (Dubai)
Three branches of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs will be open on Thursday. Branches in Al Twar and Al Manara will be open from 9am to 1pm, while the external centre at Dubai International Airport at Terminal 3 is open 24 hours on all days.
