Starting April 6, 2026, finding free parking in Abu Dhabi's Mohamed Bin Zayed (MBZ) City will drastically change. Authorities are activating over 11,000 paid parking spaces at Dh2 per hour and opening four new multi-storey facilities. Here is the complete breakdown of the affected commercial sectors, payment methods, and the new permit-only rules for villa residents

ABU DHABI – If you live, work, or frequently visit Mohamed Bin Zayed City (MBZ City), it is time to update your parking habits. The days of circling for a free, unregulated parking spot are coming to an end.

Starting April 6, 2026, Abu Dhabi is rolling out a massive paid parking system across several bustling commercial and residential sectors in the area. The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), in collaboration with Q Mobility, aims to eliminate random parking, ease traffic bottlenecks, and finally give residents some much-needed privacy.

Here is everything you need to know before the new tariffs kick in next week.

The Dh2 Tariff: Where and How to Pay

The new system will activate exactly 11,030 subsidiary parking spaces across key commercial hotspots. Motorists will be charged a standard rate of Dh2 per hour for these secondary spaces.

To make the transition smooth, authorities have ensured that payments can be made entirely paperless. You can pay your parking fees through:

  • The Darb application
  • The TAMM application
  • Direct SMS
  • Traditional payment machines located in the area

Which Sectors Are Affected?

The first phase of the activation targets the areas with the highest daily vehicle movement and commercial density. The paid spaces are distributed as follows:

  • ME10: 6,666 spaces
  • ME11: 3,758 spaces
  • Z17-01: 431 spaces
  • Z19: 108 spaces
  • Z20: 67 spaces

Note: Dedicated parking spaces have also been strictly allocated for People of Determination across these zones.

Villa Residents: Your Parking is Protected

One of the biggest complaints from MBZ City residents has been commercial workers and visitors abandoning their cars in residential neighbourhoods. The new regulations directly address this.

Parking in the surrounding villa areas (including zones Z17-01, Z19, Z20, and Z27) will be heavily regulated. These spaces will be reserved exclusively for permit holders. This move is designed to preserve the privacy of families and stop the spillover of commercial traffic into quiet residential streets.

The Multi-Storey Solution

To balance the introduction of paid street parking, authorities have also opened four massive multi-storey parking facilities to safely absorb the high volume of daily commuters.

These new buildings provide an additional 1,446 parking spaces, strategically placed to support local businesses without choking the streets:

  • Sector ME9: 682 spaces
  • Sector ME10: 346 spaces (across two facilities)
  • Sector ME12: 418 spaces

The Bottom Line: Before you head to MBZ City on or after April 6, ensure your Darb or TAMM accounts are topped up. The new system will undoubtedly mean fewer traffic jams, but it also means zero tolerance for illegal or unpaid parking.