Dubai: For the next six months, Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to serve 25 million visits. Public transport across the emirate, as well as infrastructure, has been enhanced to serve this increased footfall from world over. Free RTA buses dubbed as Expo Riders are shuttling visitors back and forth from select stops in different cities, and the dedicated Expo 2020 Metro drops the eventgoer directly into the heart of the site.
But if you do decide to drive to Expo, here is all that you need to know about the site’s parking timings, zones and special shuttles.
Where is Expo 2020 Dubai?
The site of the world fair is located just south of Dubai Investments Park (DIP). Visitors driving to Expo can look out for yellow road signs to guide them on all major highways. The ride is about 34-minutes-long from the Dubai International Airport (DXB), and only 20 minutes away from Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
Location: Expo Road (E77), Dubai South, Jebel Ali
Parking timings
Vast grounds circling the site are open to visitors to park for free. Ticketholders must adhere to the parking timings:
- Saturday to Wednesday, from 8.30am to 1.30am (of the next day)
- Thursday and Friday, from 8.30am to 3.30am (of the next day)
Parking zones
There are four designated parking zones at Expo, of which three are colour coded to help visitors remember where they parked. Your choice of parking zone will depend on the Thematic District you wish to visit. If you are headed to the Sustainability District, then you will need to park in the Sustainability Parking to access the correct gate.
• Opportunity Parking, coloured orange, is accessible from the Expo Road (E77). Here, the lots range from A to F.
• Sustainability Parking, coloured green, is accessible from the Expo Road (E77) and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan al Nahyan Street (D54). Here, the lots range from A to H.
• Mobility Parking, coloured blue, is accessible from the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (E311). Here, the lots range from A to N.
• Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) Parking is accessible from the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (E311).
Car park types
Once visitors enter the parking lot, they will find further signs pointing to sections for certain ticketholders. If you require help with directions, do reach out to the staff stationed in the area.
- Premium Parking: VIP parking for those with invites.
- Valet Parking: Valet is available on a first-come, first-serve basis and is priced at Dh95 per visit – covers the entire day. If your ticket comes with valet parking vouchers, you can use that instead of paying.
- People of Determination Parking: A valid people of determination parking permit from the UAE is required for access. Overseas visitors can apply for a temporary parking permit from the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) at Umm Ramool or Al Manarah centres with their passport, visa, personal photo and proof of Dubai address or either show a parking permit from the home country or evidence of disability. POD areas can be found in the three district zones: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability Parking.
- Nissan Parking: Visitors driving a Nissan vehicle can park in this reserved area. In the Mobility parking zone, the lot can be found in the H block, whereas in the Sustainability zone, Nissan drivers can head to the G block.
- Media Parking: Media personnel get to park closer to the gate in the E block of the Sustainability parking zone. To access this lot, make sure you have your accredited pass on you.
- Jubilee Experience Parking: Those who are Jubilee Experience ticketholders can park in this dedicated section at the Sustainability parking zone, marked in black.
- Public Parking: The remaining letter blocks are all open to the general public.
For electric car drivers, there are limited slots painted in green at the Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability parking zones with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points.
Parking shuttles
The gates, also known as Entry Portals, are at least a 15-minute walk from the farthest car park, but this should not discourage you from parking far out. Dedicated shuttles and their bus stops are peppered across all zones to ensure that visitors do not have to walk more than five minutes or 600 metres to enter the site.
The free parking shuttles operate for however long the parking zones are open, and run at a frequency of seven minutes or less. These can be easily spotted from afar as they are colour-coded to match the district they operate in. Inside, there is ample space for two wheelchairs or baby strollers with ramped access.
Boarding the right bus
Before you head to the closest bus stop, make sure to scan the QR code located at the end of your parking row. This is going to help you remember where you parked and tell you which shuttle to board. Once you are inside the bus, patiently wait till you have passed all stops to get off at the bus stand near the entrance.
On your way back, board the same shuttle from the bus stand near the gate. If you do not have your QR code on hand but remember the block and the row you parked in, signboards and onsite staff here will guide you to right bus.
For instance, if you parked in Opportunity lot C, row 04, then check for the shuttle that goes to lot C. In this case, the parking shuttle O01 is your ride to the bus stop OC1. Similarly, Mobility and Sustainability routes are coded M and S, respectively.
Buggies
Reserved for families with children and people of determination, limited buggies can also take you from the bus stand to the Expo entrance for free.
