Free parking in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah for UAE 51st National Day – all you need to know

Dubai: As UAE residents prepare for the long weekend, transport authorities have announced free parking during the National Day holidays, as well as special timings for public transport services in different Emirates.

However, while most parking spots will be free for the coming four days, there are some areas where you may still need to pay for parking. Here is all you need to know.

Free Parking in Dubai

On Tuesday, November 29, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that all public parking spaces will be free of charge from Thursday, December 1, to Saturday, December 3. This is except for multi-storey parkings.

RTA also announced the following timings for public transport services:

Dubai Metro

Wednesday, November 30 to Saturday, December 3 - 5am to 1am (the following day).

Sunday, December 4 - 8am to 12 midnight.

The timings will be the same for the Red and Green line.

Dubai Bus

Thursday, December 1 to Sunday, December 4 - 6am to 1am (the following day).

The timings for all Metro Link bus services will be synchronised with the Metro timetables.

Intercity Bus Schedule

The current intercity routes from Dubai to other Emirates will continue to be in operation:

Marine transport

During the National Day holiday, marine transport services will operate as follows:

Water Bus

Abra

Dubai Ferry

Water Taxi

The Water Taxi will be operating on-demand from 3pm to 11pm. You would need to make prior bookings if you wish to use the water taxi, by calling 800 9090.

Free Parking in Abu Dhabi

On Wednesday, November 30, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) announced that surface parking in the Emirate will be free from Thursday, December 1, until 7.59 am on Monday, December 5.

Free Parking in Sharjah

Sharjah residents will be exempt from public parking free during the National Day break, according to an announcement by

Sharjah City Municipality (SCM) also announced that public parking will be free in the Emirate from December 1 to December 3.

However, this does not include certain areas that are paid parking zones throughout the week.

These parking areas will have a yellow board with a blue sign underneath it stating that parking is paid throughout the week in the area, including on public holidays.