popular shopping malls, including Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, and City Centre Mirdif. The announcement, made on Thursday, comes as the company signed a five-year agreement with Parkin, the largest provider of paid parking services in Dubai, to implement a new barrierless parking system in these malls.
The new system, set to be introduced in January 2025, will enhance the parking experience for the more than 20 million vehicles that visit these malls each year. Despite the technological upgrades, the company reassured shoppers that parking fees will remain unchanged.
Parking Policy Remains Unaffected
Majid Al Futtaim’s CEO of Asset Management, Ahmed Bin Braik, emphasized that the current parking policies at the malls will stay in place. At Mall of the Emirates, parking will continue to be free for the first four hours, while City Centre Deira will offer three hours of free parking. Shoppers who spend at the stores in these malls can also have their parking fees waived.
“City Centre Mirdif’s parking will remain completely free, and any existing barriers in VIP spaces will be removed once Parkin takes over,” Bin Braik told Khaleej Times.
“The main objective of the deal with Parkin is to better manage and regulate parking,” he added. “There isn’t going to be any increase in fees or tariffs to the consumer. We want to maintain a very transparent and consistent pricing model.”
Road and Infrastructure Upgrades
Majid Al Futtaim, which operates 29 shopping malls across five countries, is also working with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to implement major road upgrades around Mall of the Emirates. These improvements include the construction of a flyover, which will provide motorists traveling from Abu Dhabi with direct access to the mall.
The upgrades are expected to ease traffic flow significantly, as the mall currently sees up to 36,000 vehicles interacting with its parking facilities on weekends. Bin Braik estimates that vehicle flow into the mall will increase by 15-20% once the road improvements are completed.
“The road upgrade will greatly ease traffic flow as we anticipate approximately a 15- to 20-per-cent increase in vehicle flow into Mall of the Emirates,” Bin Braik explained. “The upgrades are important as they’re going to save time for people coming from Abu Dhabi.”
Barrierless Parking to Save Time
The new barrierless parking system, powered by Parkin’s technology, will help reduce congestion and waiting times for shoppers. Advanced cameras will automatically capture license plate information, allowing vehicles to enter and exit the parking facilities without the need to stop for a ticket.
Bin Braik noted that the system would save visitors anywhere from 20 seconds to several minutes per trip, particularly during busy weekends and public holidays. “This would ultimately allow shoppers to spend more time at malls,” he said.
The company plans to continue exploring advanced technologies that prioritize consumer convenience and satisfaction across all its assets.
