Dubai Mall has introduced a new paid parking system in partnership with Salik, the UAE’s road toll operator.
The initiative commenced from July 1 (today), will affect visitors parking in designated areas such as Grand, Cinema, and Fashion Parking zones, while Zabeel and Fountain View parkings will remain free for now.
Visitors to the iconic shopping destination will notice newly installed grey and white Salik branding at all parking entrances and boards. Despite the signage, no visible barriers or cameras were observed within the parking areas during the initial rollout phase.
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This means you’ll need to pay to park your car at the mall, except for the Zabeel and Fountain View car parks which will remain free.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect:
- Affected Parking Areas: Grand Parking, Cinema Parking, and Fashion Parking.
- Free Parking Duration: Up to 4 hours on weekdays and 6 hours on weekends. You can enjoy these free hours before any charges apply.
- Parking Charges: Charges will vary depending on how long you park. Expect to pay anywhere from 20 dirhams (around $5.50) for exceeding the free period to a maximum of 1,000 dirhams (around $272) for parking over 24 hours.
- Payment Method: You’ll need a Salik tag, the same tag used for paying tolls on Dubai’s roads. The parking fee will be automatically deducted from your Salik account when you exit the mall parking area.
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While there are currently no visible barriers or cameras in the parking areas, it’s important to note that Salik branding has been placed at all parking entrances and signage with parking rates is displayed inside the mall. It’s unclear at this point how cars without Salik tags will be handled.
Security guards were reportedly present at the entrances on Sunday, directing and rerouting traffic. We can expect a more thorough system to be in place by the official launch on July 1st.