Motorists in Dubai are choosing to pay the steep Dh25 per hour public parking fee, six times more than the usual rate, rather than paying Dh80 for private parking spaces near the Gulfood venue.
The sharp increase in public parking rates around the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) took effect on Monday, February 17, coinciding with the start of the Gulfood exhibition.
Notices put out on the RTA app informed the public that the Trade Centre parking zones 335X, 336X, and 337X would be adjusted to Dh25 per hour from February 17 to February 21 during the Gulfood exhibition. These areas were marked with white boards, unlike the usual orange boards seen across other parking areas in Dubai.
However, despite a sixfold increase in parking fees from the usual Dh4 per hour to Dh25, spaces around DWTC were fully occupied by 10am on the first day of the event.
Mohammed Hameed,an exhibitor at Gulfood, travelled from Sharjah and was prepared to pay the Dh25 rate for the 8 hours he anticipated staying at the event. “The alternative is parking at DWTC, which costs anywhere from Dh40 to Dh80 per hour,” he said. “This is a more cost-effective option for me. Today I had a lot of things to bring so I just preferred to come by car. Tomorrow, I may try taking the metro.”
The price hike marks the first time implementation of Dubai's Congestion Pricing Policy, which was announced by the Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in November last year.
Other attendees, like Shenin Shereef, also found themselves paying for parking despite the steep rates. Shenin, who travelled from Al Qusais, parked at the Al Mustaqbal parking centre. “I arrived at 9am and plan to stay till 6pm,” he said. “I expect to pay Dh200 for the day, as the charges are Dh40 for the first hour and Dh20 per hour after that. Since there's no metro station near my home, driving is my only option."
The Congestion Pricing Policy, designed to manage traffic in the city, was rolled out to reduce congestion around major event zones like DWTC. The increased fees are being applied to public parking spaces in these areas during high-traffic periods such as Gulfood, with plans to expand the policy to other event zones in the future.
Gulfood, celebrating its 30th edition, is one of the world's largest food and beverage trade events, drawing tens of thousands of attendees and more than 5500 exhibitors from 129 countries.
The event is expected to generate over Dh70 billion in trade deals, making it a key gathering that impacts traffic and parking demand in the surrounding areas.
