Sharjah extends paid parking hours until midnight across emirate from July 1

SHARJAH: Paid public parking hours across Sharjah emirate will be extended until midnight from July 1, 2026, under a new decision announced by Sharjah City Municipality.

The move will apply to all paid parking spaces in the cities of Sharjah, Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid, including parking areas identified by yellow signboards, bringing them in line with blue-sign parking zones that already operate until 12 am.

The municipality clarified that parking will continue to be free on Fridays and official public holidays, except in designated zones where fees are charged throughout the week, including holidays.

The revised operating hours will affect approximately 124,000 paid public parking spaces across the emirate.

Parking fees will now apply from 8am until midnight, although fee structures and operating mechanisms may differ in smart parking zones located across various areas of the emirate, particularly tourist destinations.

Hamed Al Qaed, Director of the Public Parking Department at Sharjah City Municipality, said the decision was introduced in response to growing demand for public parking services across the emirate’s cities and to keep pace with Sharjah’s urban, demographic and tourism growth.

He said the municipality conducted an extensive study of parking patterns, occupancy rates and demand levels in different areas before implementing the change.

The study also included benchmarking exercises and took into consideration feedback received from residents and visitors.

According to Al Qaed, the emirate’s expanding economic and commercial activity has increased the need to operate public parking facilities until midnight to improve availability, curb misuse of parking spaces and address parking-related challenges.

He noted that holders of seasonal parking subscriptions, as well as visitors to restaurants and cafeterias, often struggle to find available parking after 10 pm, making it necessary to enhance parking systems and improve efficiency for residents and visitors alike.

The extended hours are expected to encourage better use of public parking spaces, reduce random and illegal parking, and increase parking turnover in busy commercial and high-demand areas.

The measure is also aimed at improving services in residential and commercial districts while supporting Sharjah’s appeal as a tourism destination and a preferred place to live and spend leisure time.

Al Qaed stressed that the extended operating hours will not result in any increase in parking subscription fees.

Existing subscription rates will remain unchanged, while subscribers will benefit from an additional two hours of daily coverage.

Previously, subscription holders enjoyed a 14-hour exemption period, which will now increase to 16 hours per day.

Sharjah City Municipality urged motorists to adhere to the revised parking hours and pay parking fees through available channels, including SMS services and the Sharjah Digital application.

Residents and visitors were also encouraged to take advantage of seasonal parking subscriptions, which can be obtained quickly and conveniently through the municipality’s services.