Keep an eye out for these changes in Dubai…

New month, new rules – changes are coming to Dubai, and we must keep up. Majority of the changes seem to be in the roads and traffic department, including dynamic pricing and parking fees. Take note – these are the changes coming to Dubai in February.

Salik’s new dynamic pricing

Variable toll rates for all days of the year, except Ramadan, which will have separate rates, will be implemented starting January 31, and will allow motorists to travel toll free in certain passages of time in the day. February will be the first month of this system, with adjustments made according to peak and non-peak hours.

During weekdays, the toll will be Dhs6 during morning peak hours (6am to 10am) and evening peak hours (4pm to 8pm). During off-peak hours, between 10am and 4pm, and from 8pm to 1am, the toll will be Dhs4. On Sundays, excluding public holidays, special occasions, or major events, the toll will be Dhs4 throughout the day and free from 1am to 6am.

Barrierless parking at malls

The barrierless parking rollout has started – three major malls in Dubai have already implemented it. The new parking system has already been activated at City Centre Deira and it will be introduced at Mall of the Emirates early next month, and City Centre Mirdif soom.

Just to clarify, barrierless doesn’t mean it’s free. The parking will still be paid, but vehicles’ licence plates will be automatically tracked by cameras as they enter and exit the car park. An SMS with a payment link will be sent to drivers for any charges. The fees will have to be paid within three days of incurring or motorists will receive a fine of Dhs150. If you don’t pay within two days of leaving the mall, you’ll receive an SMS reminder and a phone call the next day.

Rise in parking fees

The price of parking is set to rise in key areas across the city. The new structure will see the flat rates for parking adjusted, with parking during peak hours set to rise from Dhs4 per hour to Dhs6 per hour.

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There will also be a significant increase in the price of parking in event zones, which will be set at Dhs25 per hour. This will begin with areas around Dubai World Trade Centre from February 2025. This new hike is being called a congestion fee, already in place in major cities in the world such as London and Singapore, with an aim to reduce inner city traffic.

Flights to Beirut have been resumed

Latest travel news here – Emirates has announced that it will be resuming flights from Dubai to Beirut from February 1. Flights to the Lebanese capital had been suspended since the end of September last year, and after a long break, they will be restarted. The service will begin with a daily flight with a second daily flight to debut in the start of April.

Emirates Airline initially cancelled flights to Beirut at the end of September due to developing tensions in the region at the time. Other local carriers had also suspended their services, including FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia.

For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com

Property buyers to pay more

From February 1, property buyers in Dubai opting for a mortgage will no longer be able to finance the four per cent Dubai Land Department (DLD) fees and two per cent brokerage fees. The DLD fee is a mandatory registration fee, levied by the Dubai Land Department, that is four per cent of the property’s total price. It now means that if a buyer was to purchase a property of Dhs1,000,000, the fees could be approximately Dhs60,000. Buyers could end up paying six per cent more upfront. Read more here.

Images: Getty