As the barrierless parking rollout begins at two popular malls in Dubai, motorists are warned that a Dh150 fine applies if the fee is not paid three days after leaving the shopping centres.
The new parking system has already been activated at City Centre Deira and will be rolled out at Mall of the Emirates (MOE) early next month.
Without barriers, motorists can freely drive through the malls’ parking lots, not having to stop for tickets. Vehicles’ licence plates are automatically tracked by cameras as they enter and exit the car park. An SMS with a payment link is sent to drivers for any charges.
Parking fees have to be paid within three days; otherwise, a fine of Dh150 will apply, based on the information available on the MOE website.
“If you don’t pay within two days of leaving the mall, you’ll receive an SMS reminder and a phone call the next day,” said the statement. “If you still haven’t paid after three days, you’ll be fined Dh150 as per the UAE’s standard parking fine.” Those who leave their cars in spaces where parking is not permitted will be fined Dh1,000.
“If you park in spaces without the relevant permit — or are unable to validate such permit in the moment — you’ll be fined Dh1,000,” said the statement. Parking barriers have been removed at MOE and replaced with sensors before the rollout of barrierless parking in early February, the Dubai-based conglomerate said.
Motorists are required to park in specific areas at MOE because parking in spaces without a relevant permit could result in a Dh1,000 fine. In October last year, Majid Al Futtaim said it would introduce barrierless parking at three of its most popular malls – MOE, City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif — in partnership with Dubai parking operator Parkin.
The new system will make the entry and exit seamless for more than 20 million cars annually across the three malls.
Will the parking fee increase?
Parking fees at these malls will remain unchanged. There is no plan to increase parking fees, said Majid Al Futtaim.
“As part of phase one, we’ve announced a plan to implement the barrierless system in our three most popular malls. Importantly, the fees have not changed. We’re not looking at increasing fees,” Khalifa Bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, told Khaleej Times earlier in an interview.
Parking is free for the first three hours at City Centre Deira and free during the first four hours at MOE.
If shoppers exceed the free parking timing and spend a certain amount, they can get the ticket validated and the fee will be waived off.
“If you’ve made purchases in the mall, you can extend your parking for the day by validating at the Mall’s Customer Service Desk, the Vox Customer Service Desk, or the Parking Management Office. The fee notification will be sent to the number registered with the vehicle,” according to information available on the Mall of the Emirates’ website.
Shoppers will have free parking for spending Dh150 and two additional hours free parking for buying tickets at Vox or Ski Dubai. Overnight parking from 6am to 6am is prohibited, resulting in a fine of Dh200.
Parking is free on weekend and public holidays.
Parking charges
Mall of the Emirates
| Hours | Price |
| 0-4 | Free |
| 4-5 | 20 |
| 5-6 | 40 |
| 6-7 | 60 |
| 7-8 | 100 |
| 8+ | 150 |
City Centre Deira
| Hours | Price |
| 0-3 | Free |
| 3-4 | 20 |
| 4-5 | 40 |
| 5-6 | 60 |
| 6-7 | 100 |
| 7+ | 150 |
How it works
The new system uses advanced licence plate recognition technology. When customers arrives at one of the malls, their vehicles’ licence plate are automatically tracked by cameras as they enter and exit the car park.
If there is a parking fee, an SMS is sent with a link to make the payment instantly through a web-based platform. For added convenience, customers can link their account to Parkin’s wallet, allowing for faster and simpler transactions.
