EXCLUSIVE

Parkin adds free parking permits for these Dubai drivers

Parkin enables seamless digital parking access for some residents and visitors

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2 MIN READ
STOCK PARKIN
Photo used for illustrative purposes.
Ahmad Alotbi/Gulf News

Dubai: Parkin is introducing several digital enhancements designed to make parking more efficient for residents, visitors, and businesses. The company’s latest update integrates multiple permit services directly into the Parkin app, allowing customers to manage parking access through one unified platform.

Osama Alsafi, Chief Operating Officer of Parkin, said the enhancements align with Dubai’s broader vision for smarter, more inclusive mobility. “As Dubai continues to set the benchmark as a smart and inclusive city, Parkin remains focused on enhancing the everyday mobility experience for residents and visitors,” he said.

New permits for Emiratis and People of Determination

Among the key updates are new permits and subscription options that extend convenience and cost savings. The Emirati Residence Parking permit provides one year of free parking for up to five linked vehicles, with access to public parking within a 500-metre radius of the registered residence. Senior Emiratis now benefit from three years of free parking across all public zones, covering categories A through D.

This enhancement delivers greater ease, accessibility, and convenience for Emirati Residents, Senior Emiratis, People of Determination, and other community segments.
Osama Alsafi COO of Parkin

People of Determination can access free or tailored parking options depending on their status. Permanent permits extend to five linked vehicles with a three-year validity period. Temporary permits, valid for up to a year, support residents and citizens under medical committee approval. Tourists can also apply for short-term access lasting up to 60 days.

Tailored parking for medical cases and GCC residents

Special provisions now cater to individuals undergoing medical treatment, enabling free access to paid parking near medical facilities throughout their recovery period. GCC nationals residing in Dubai are eligible for one year of free parking for up to two linked vehicles, simplifying daily access within a 500-metre radius of their homes.

Digital wallet for business and government users

To streamline parking fee management for companies, Parkin has also launched the Business and Government Wallet. The solution enables organisations to centralise parking payments, define authorised vehicles, and set time-based usage limits.

According to Alsafi, this system was built to address the growing need among enterprises for simplified parking operations. “The introduction of our Business and Government Wallet supports organisations in managing employee parking more efficiently through a centralised, controlled digital solution,” he added.

He added that the new features improve accessibility for Emirati residents, senior Emiratis and People of Determination, while giving organisations a more efficient way to manage employee parking through a controlled digital solution.

With permits, payments and eligibility now handled in one place, parking is becoming another routine task Dubai drivers no longer need to think about.

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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