Is Parking Free Today in Dubai? Sundays, Holidays and Free Hours Explained

Last updated: October 21, 2026

Thousands of drivers in Dubai ask this question every morning, because the answer changes with the day of the week, the time of day, and whether today is a public holiday. The rule itself is simple once you know it, and this guide walks you through it.

Quick Answer: Is Parking Free Today in Dubai?

Public street parking in Dubai is free today if today is a Sunday or an official UAE public holiday, or if you park between 10pm and 8am. On any other day, standard public parking is paid from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm. So if today is a Sunday, you can park in most public zones without paying. If today is a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you pay during the day and park free overnight after 10pm.

There are two important exceptions. First, multi-storey car parks and some special zones keep charging even on Sundays and holidays, so always read the sign at the bay. Second, shopping malls, beaches and residential areas follow their own rules, which we cover below.

How to Tell If Parking Is Free Today

Use these three questions before you leave the car.

Step 1: What day is it today?

If today is Sunday, standard public parking is free all day. If today is a public holiday announced by the UAE government, standard public parking is free all day too. On every other day, Monday to Saturday, standard public parking is paid between 8am and 10pm. Friday and Saturday are both paid days in Dubai. Many drivers still assume Friday is free, because it used to be the weekend, but under the current Monday to Saturday paid schedule it is not.

Step 2: What time is it now?

Even on a paid day, parking is free every night from 10pm to 8am in most public zones. If you arrive at 9pm on a paid day, you only need to pay for the hour up to 10pm, not for the whole night.

Step 3: What kind of parking is it?

Look at the sign. If it is a standard public street or plot bay with a zone code, the Sunday, holiday and overnight rules above apply. If it is a multi-storey car park, a mall car park, an airport car park or a bay marked as a 24-hour zone, different rules apply. When in doubt, check the Parkin app or the RTA Dubai app for that zone before you walk away.

Paid Hours at a Glance

This is only a short summary. Our Dubai parking guide covers timings and charges in full.

When	Standard public parking
Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm	Paid
Monday to Saturday, 10pm to 8am	Free
Sunday, all day	Free
Official public holiday, all day	Free
Multi-storey car parks	Paid around the clock, even on Sundays and holidays

Within paid hours, premium zones cost more at peak times. Peak hours are 8am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm, while off-peak hours are 10am to 4pm and 8pm to 10pm. In premium areas the base charge is AED 6 per hour at peak times, and in standard areas it is AED 4 per hour at peak times, with 5% VAT added on top, so you actually pay AED 6.30 and AED 4.20 per hour respectively.

Public Holidays: When Parking Is Free All Day

Parking is free on official UAE public holidays in standard public zones. The RTA confirms the exact dates each time, because several holidays depend on moon sighting. The holidays that normally bring free parking include New Year’s Day, Eid Al Fitr, Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, the Prophet’s Birthday, Commemoration Day and UAE National Day.

Where Free Parking Exists in Dubai

Beyond Sundays, holidays and nights, there are places in Dubai where you can park free on an ordinary paid day.

Shopping malls with free parking

Most big malls give you a free window and only charge after it. Dubai Mall gives 4 hours free on weekdays and 6 hours free from Friday to Sunday. Mall of the Emirates gives 4 hours free on weekdays and is free all day on weekends. Dubai Marina Mall gives 3 hours free on weekdays and 4 hours on weekends. Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Festival City Mall, Mercato Mall and Dubai Hills Mall are reported as free all day. The catch is always the same: go past the free window and the charges start. For the full Dubai Mall breakdown, see our Dubai Mall parking fee guide.

Parks and beaches

Public parks and beaches are some of the most reliable free parking in the city. Zabeel Park, Safa Park and Mushrif Park all have free parking lots, and Kite Beach and Jumeirah Beach are free too, although they fill up fast at weekends.

Residential and suburban areas

Outer residential districts and suburban communities often have unmetered streets and open plots where parking is free, especially in places like Al Barsha, Mirdif and Jumeirah Village Circle. The rule here is to respect the signs: some bays are reserved for residents with permits, and blocking a driveway or parking across a pavement can still earn you a fine even where there is no meter.

Mosque parking during prayer times

Parking zones marked M or MP, near mosques, offer one hour of free parking during prayer times, with normal charges applying outside those times. This is a useful window if you are attending prayers, but it is only an hour, so do not treat it as all-day free parking.

Metro Park and Ride

If you are heading into the city by Metro, Park and Ride is one of the best free options in Dubai. Centrepoint Metro Station and e& Metro Station both offer free parking for Metro users who validate with their Nol card and travel on the Metro. If you park there without using the Metro, you will be charged, at around AED 10 per hour up to AED 50 per day, and overnight parking is not allowed.

Free parking option	Free window	Watch out for
Standard public street parking	Sundays, public holidays, and 10pm to 8am daily	Excludes multi-storey and 24-hour zones
Dubai Mall	4 hours weekdays, 6 hours Friday to Sunday	Charged after the free window
Mall of the Emirates	4 hours weekdays, free all day on weekends	Charged after the weekday window
Ibn Battuta, Festival City, Mercato, Dubai Hills malls	Reported free all day	Check the entrance board
Parks and beaches	Free lots at Zabeel, Safa, Mushrif, Kite Beach and Jumeirah Beach	Weekend bays fill early
Mosque zones M and MP	1 hour free during prayer times	Paid outside prayer times
Metro Park and Ride	Free with Nol validation and a Metro trip	Charged if you do not ride

Zones That Stay Paid Even on Sundays

Not every bay goes free on Sunday. Multi-storey car parks charge around the clock, every day, including Sundays and public holidays. The Waterfront Market area in Deira, Zone E, is paid daily from 8am to 11pm, including Sundays. Enclosed residential and industrial plots such as Zone N at Al Khail Gate run on 24-hour or seven-day paid schedules. Some special zones, including zones M, MP, N, V and W, are reported as paid every day, 24 hours a day.

Ramadan Parking Timing in Dubai

Ramadan does not make parking free all day, and this is one of the most common misunderstandings of the year. Paid parking continues during Ramadan, but on a shorter, split schedule. From Monday to Saturday during Ramadan, standard public parking is paid from 8am to 6pm and again from 8pm to midnight. That leaves two free windows: from 6pm to 8pm, around Iftar, and from midnight to 8am overnight. Multi-storey car parks stay paid 24 hours a day even during Ramadan.

Peak hours shift in Ramadan too. Under the RTA’s Ramadan schedule, peak hours are 8am to 10am and 1pm to 5pm, with off-peak hours at 10am to 1pm, 5pm to 6pm and 8pm to midnight. Sundays during Ramadan still follow the rules of the zone you are in, so check the sign rather than assuming a blanket free day. The RTA publishes the exact Ramadan timings each year, so confirm the current year’s announcement in the Parkin or RTA Dubai app before you rely on these windows.

Ramadan period (Monday to Saturday)	Status
8am to 6pm	Paid
6pm to 8pm (around Iftar)	Free
8pm to midnight	Paid
Midnight to 8am	Free
Multi-storey car parks	Paid 24 hours a day

What Happens If You Get It Wrong

Parking without paying in a paid zone carries a fine of AED 150, and overstaying the time you paid for carries a fine of AED 100. Using a bay reserved for People of Determination without a permit can cost AED 1,000. Pay by app or SMS to 7275 during paid hours, and only rely on a free window when you have checked the day, the time and the sign. If you do pick up a fine, our Dubai traffic fines guide explains the amounts and how they work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is parking free today in Dubai?

It depends on what day today is. Standard public parking in Dubai is free if today is a Sunday or an official UAE public holiday, or if you park between 10pm and 8am. On Monday to Saturday between 8am and 10pm, standard public parking is paid. Multi-storey car parks and special 24-hour zones stay paid even on Sundays and holidays.

Is parking free on Friday in Dubai?

No. Friday is a standard paid day in Dubai’s public parking zones. Paid hours apply from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm, and Sunday is the free day. The only free windows on a Friday are the overnight window from 10pm to 8am and the free windows at malls, parks and other places listed in this guide.

Is parking free on Saturday in Dubai?

No. Saturday is a normal paid day for standard public parking, from 8am to 10pm. The overnight window from 10pm to 8am is still free, but street parking itself is paid on Saturdays.

Is parking free after 10pm in Dubai?

Yes, in most standard public zones parking is free every night from 10pm to 8am. Multi-storey car parks and special 24-hour zones keep charging overnight, so check the sign first.

Is parking free everywhere in Dubai on Sunday?

No. Sunday free parking applies to standard public street and plot zones. It does not apply to multi-storey car parks, which stay paid around the clock, or to special zones such as Zone E at the Waterfront Market and Zone N at Al Khail Gate.

Is parking free during Ramadan in Dubai?

Not all day. During Ramadan, standard public parking is paid Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm and from 8pm to midnight, with free windows from 6pm to 8pm around Iftar and from midnight to 8am. Multi-storey car parks remain paid 24 hours a day.

Bottom Line

Is parking free today in Dubai? Check the day first: Sunday or a public holiday means free street parking all day. Check the time second: after 10pm means free until 8am, even on a paid day. Check the sign third: multi-storey car parks and special zones keep charging when everything else is free. Once those three checks become habit, you will rarely pay for parking you did not need to.