Sharjah will extend paid parking hours across the emirate from July 1, with fees to apply until midnight in all public paid parking zones.
The new timings will cover Sharjah city, Kalba, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid. Paid parking will operate from 8am to 12am under the updated system.
Sharjah Municipality said the change will bring all paid parking areas under one unified schedule. Zones marked with yellow signs, which previously had shorter paid hours, will now follow the same timings as zones with blue signs.
Parking will continue to be free on Fridays and official public holidays, except in designated zones where fees apply throughout the week, including holidays.
There are about 124,000 paid public parking spaces across the emirate.
Hamed Al Qaed, Director of the Public Parking Department at Sharjah Municipality, said the extended hours come in response to rising demand for parking across the emirate.
“The decision keeps pace with the urban, demographic and tourism renaissance witnessed by the cities of the emirate as a whole”, he said.
He added that the decision followed a study of parking usage, demand levels and distribution areas, as well as comparisons with other systems and feedback from residents and visitors.
The municipality said extending paid hours until midnight will help improve parking availability, especially in busy residential, commercial and tourism areas.
Al Qaed said seasonal subscription holders and customers visiting restaurants and cafeterias often struggle to find parking after 10pm. The new timings are expected to increase parking turnover, reduce random parking and limit misuse of spaces.
The municipality confirmed that seasonal subscription fees will not increase. Subscribers will, in effect, receive two additional hours of daily exemption, with the covered period rising from 14 to 16 hours.
The authority said the updated system applies to public paid parking spaces and differs from smart parking lots located in several parts of the emirate, particularly tourist areas.
Sharjah Municipality urged motorists to follow the new timings and pay through available channels, including SMS and the Digital Sharjah app. Residents and visitors can also use seasonal subscriptions, which the municipality said can be issued quickly and easily.