More paid parking areas announced in Dubai's Silicon Oasis

Private parking company Parkonic has announced an expansion of its paid parking services in the Dubai Silicon Oasis community. This expansion brings its services to all designated street parking areas within the Silicon Oasis district. Parkonic began operating in the area earlier this year and the latest expansion came into effect on Thursday, August 21.

There are two types of parking zones in the district: P107 and P112. P107 is a 24-hour paid car park while P112 charges between 8am and 10pm and offers free parking between 10pm and 7.59am. The fee for parking varies depending on the time of day; it is Dh4 per hour from the start of the paid period up until 4pm, then increases to Dh6 per hour between 4pm and 8pm.

In P107, the rate drops back to Dh4 per hour between 8pm and midnight, while P112 increases to Dh4 per hour from 8pm until 1am. Free parking is available on Sundays and public holidays.

Motorists can determine the applicable parking hours by checking the zone code displayed on the nearest parking sign, which identifies the areas as either P107 or P112. Additionally, Parkonic's app now integrates with Salik, providing motorists with an alternative payment method for the expanded parking network.

Parkonic has been expanding its services across several locations in Dubai. Paid parking was introduced at Wafi Mall earlier this month, offering three free hours each day after which a Dh15 charge applies for the fourth hour, and Dh10 for each additional hour or part thereof. Prior to that, Discovery Gardens transitioned to paid on-street parking on January 15.

Residents in on-street parking areas must have an active Parkonic parking tenancy; otherwise, they will be charged the visitor rate. Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi features a ticketless, barrier-free smart parking system using automatic number plate recognition, with rates of Dh20 for the first hour and Dh10 for each subsequent hour. Automatic deductions are made via Salik, or through payments made via SMS or the app.

Dine-in guests receive three hours of free parking, while gym users can get up to six hours of free parking upon validation.

Mohamed Al Ali, CEO of Parkin, another parking operator, recently told The National that Dubai drivers can anticipate more paid parking as the city continues to evolve. Parkin currently manages 268,300 paid parking spaces across Dubai, a more than quarter increase from the 211,500 a year ago following the acquisition of new areas under its management.

Al Ali stated, "Parking is reaching every single person here" and emphasized that the company sees continued urban expansion, changing mobility patterns, and growing expectations for smarter and more seamless services. As the city expands, so too will Parkin's parking spaces, as they are considered a service in an advanced city.