How to park on Palm Jumeirah: Payment methods and free parking explained

Dubai:  The Palm Jumeirah is one of Dubai's most popular tourist and residential hubs, known for its luxury resorts, beach clubs, and iconic attractions spread across the palm tree-shaped island. Due to its popularity, a ticketless and automated parking system has been introduced to reduce congestion. This system is operated by PARKONIC, one of the UAE's largest privately-owned parking management companies.

PARKONIC currently manages over 150 parking locations across the UAE. On Palm Jumeirah, PARKONIC parking spots include:

Since public parking in this area is not managed by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) or Parkin, the parking process follows a slightly different system. Here's what you need to know:

PARKONIC operates a barrierless system that relies on an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera. When you enter a PARKONIC location, the ANPR camera captures your vehicle's licence plate, and the barrier opens automatically.

For PARKONIC app users, the exit barrier opens automatically as payment is deducted from their registered account. This eliminates the need for parking tickets or manual payments.

If you do not use the PARKONIC app, you must pay before exiting using one of the available methods, such as a payment machine, kiosk, or the online payment portal at pay.parkonic.com.

According to PARKONIC, the company is actively rolling out SALIK as the default payment method across their locations. Customers with a SALIK account will have their parking fees automatically deducted upon exit.

Using the PARKONIC App

The PARKONIC app is available for both Apple and Android users. With an active account, parking fees are automatically calculated and deducted from your digital wallet when you exit. To ensure smooth transactions, you should maintain a sufficient balance in your wallet.

Creating an Account

Setting up a PARKONIC account is simple and offers several benefits:

To create an account:

Payment options

PARKONIC is transitioning towards a fully cashless parking experience, which includes the removal of physical pay stations. For those who do not have a SALIK account or prefer an alternative payment method, they can:

For on-street parking in the Golden Mile Galleria area, you must use SMS parking. There are signboards in the area which are yellow and blue which indicate paid parking and allow parking for up to 24 hours

Use the following format:

SMS Format: <Emirate/Country code> <Plate code> <Plate number> <Area number> <Duration in hours> to 6670

Examples:

Some PARKONIC locations offer free parking through merchant validation. However, conditions vary across different locations. Typically, you must spend a certain amount with a participating PARKONIC-affiliated merchant to qualify for free parking. You must validate your parking before leaving the location. Refund requests after departure are not accepted.