Two of Dubai’s most popular shopping malls, Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Center, will begin charging for long-term parking on their premises from September 10, 2009, immediately after the launch of the Dubai Metro.
In accordance with the new system, free parking will be provided to all who wish to shop and relax for three hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends and holidays. For those customers of shopping centers who will visit the movie theaters, there is one additional free hour, both on weekdays and weekends. Use of parking over a specified period will be paid. On weekdays, each subsequent hour will cost the motorist 20 dirhams. On weekends, the fifth hour of parking will cost 40 dirhams, and the sixth and subsequent ones - 60 dirhams.
The time frame was selected based on a study conducted by a group of companies Majid Al Futtaim, which owns Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Center, a firm. They showed that 70% of shopping center customers spend no more than 3 hours on shopping.
