Dubai Metro Stations with Free Parking (Park & Ride List)

Dubai Metro free parking is available at three stations: Centrepoint and National Paints on the Red Line, and e& on the Green Line. Each has a multi-storey park-and-ride car park, open 24 hours.

Parking is free only if you ride the metro. You tap the same nol card at the car park barrier, on the metro, and at the barrier again on the way out, and you must leave within 60 minutes of your last metro trip. Miss that window, or don’t use the metro at all, and fees start.

Quick answer: Free park and ride at Centrepoint (Red Line), National Paints (Red Line) and e& (Green Line). Use one nol card for parking and the metro. Exit within 60 minutes of your last tap. Non-users pay AED 10 an hour, up to AED 50 a day. Staying over 24 hours is fined AED 100 a day.

Dubai Metro free parking: the three stations

These three were named by RTA in a September 2026 parking advisory for an event at Dubai World Trade Centre. Other recent coverage, such as Gulf News’s park-and-ride explainer, lists the same three, each with thousands of spaces and a walkway into the station.

You will see other stations named on some websites, often Life Pharmacy or “Jebel Ali”. Jebel Ali was simply the old name of National Paints. We could not find an RTA source for free park and ride at Life Pharmacy, so we have left it out.

How Dubai Metro park and ride works

1. Drive in and tap your nol card at the car park entrance barrier. If you don’t have a card, RTA sells Red Tickets at the entrance.
2. Park in a marked bay.
3. Walk through to the metro and tap in with the same card.
4. Ride the metro and tap out at your destination as normal.
5. Come back, tap out of the metro, and walk to your car.
6. Tap the same card at the exit barrier within 60 minutes of your last metro tap.

The barrier checks that the card used to enter the car park was also used on the metro. If it wasn’t, you are charged as a non-metro user.

Use one card for the car park and the metro. Switching cards is the most common way people end up paying.

The time limits and fees

The AED 100 a day fine, capped at AED 1,000, is in RTA’s official penalty table for parking in metro-user areas beyond the permitted period. See RTA’s metro rules. The other figures come from Gulf News reporting of RTA rules and should be checked before you rely on them.

Who benefits most from free metro parking

Sharjah commuters working in Dubai. e& is the obvious choice. Park, take the Green Line to Union, and switch to the Red Line for Sheikh Zayed Road. It cuts out the worst of the Al Ittihad Road traffic.

Drivers coming from Abu Dhabi or Dubai South. National Paints sits where the Red Line forks. From there, trains run to the Marina and Downtown, or out to Expo 2020.

Airport runs. From Centrepoint, Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 are only two or three stops away. But remember the 24-hour limit: free metro parking is not a holiday car park.

Event days. For concerts, exhibitions or New Year’s Eve, RTA often tells drivers to use these car parks rather than drive into the centre. Arrive early, because they fill up.

Is metro park and ride cheaper than driving?

Here is a simple worked example for a Sharjah resident commuting to Business Bay.

Whether it wins depends on your office parking and how far you are from e&. If your employer gives you free parking, driving may still be cheaper in money, though slower in traffic. If you pay for parking in town, park and ride usually comes out ahead.

Our view: for anyone paying hourly parking in Downtown, DIFC or Business Bay, park and ride is the better deal on most days.

Exact metro fares by zone are in our Dubai Metro and bus fares guide.

Mistakes that turn free parking into a bill

Using two different cards. If you enter the car park with one card and ride the metro with another, the barrier can’t link the two, and you pay as a non-user.

Stopping for dinner on the way back. The 60-minute clock starts at your last metro tap. A long meal near the station before you collect the car can push you past it.

Leaving the car overnight more than once. Anything beyond 24 hours is fined at AED 100 a day, and longer stays risk impound.

Parking under the metro viaduct instead. RTA warns that parking beneath elevated metro tracks, outside designated bays, can lead to fines or towing.

Arriving at 8 am on a Sunday expecting trains. The car park is open 24 hours, but the metro opens at 8 am on Sundays. Check our Dubai Metro timings before an early trip.

Paid parking near other metro stations

At most other stations there is no dedicated park and ride. You will find RTA paid street parking nearby, charged by zone and time, or mall car parks at stations such as Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira.

Mall parking rules are set by each mall and can change, so check the signs. For a short visit, paid street parking near the station is often the simplest option.

Using park and ride with the rest of the network

From each car park you can reach most of Dubai with one change:

• From Centrepoint, the whole Red Line, plus the Green Line at Union or BurJuman.
• From National Paints, the Marina and JBR via Sobha Realty or DMCC and the Dubai Tram, or Expo City on Route 2020.
• From e&, all of Deira and Bur Dubai on the Green Line.

Station-by-station details are in our Red Line stations list. From 2029, Centrepoint will also connect to the new Dubai Metro Blue Line, which may make that car park busier.

Frequently asked questions

Which Dubai Metro stations have free parking?

Three stations have free park and ride for metro users: Centrepoint and National Paints on the Red Line, and e& on the Green Line. All three have multi-storey car parks open 24 hours. National Paints was called Jabal Ali until 2025, so older guides may use that name.

Is parking at Dubai Metro stations really free?

Yes, if you use the metro. You must tap the same nol card at the car park entrance, on the metro, and at the exit, and leave within 60 minutes of your last metro trip. If you park without riding the metro, you pay AED 10 an hour, up to AED 50 a day.

Can I leave my car overnight at a metro station?

Only up to 24 hours. After that, RTA’s penalty table sets a fine of AED 100 per day, up to AED 1,000. Gulf News has reported that cars left more than 48 hours can be impounded. For airport trips longer than a day, use airport parking or a taxi instead.

Do I need a nol card for metro free parking?

Yes. The car park barrier reads a nol card or ticket, and the same one must be used on the metro for parking to stay free. If you don’t have one, you can buy a Red Ticket at the car park entrance and use it for your metro trip and the exit barrier.

What happens if I park but don’t take the metro?

You are charged as a non-metro user: AED 10 per hour, up to a maximum of AED 50 per day, as reported by Gulf News. The park and ride car parks are meant for public transport users, so RTA charges anyone using them simply as cheap parking in the area.

Making the most of Dubai Metro free parking

Dubai Metro free parking works well at Centrepoint, National Paints and e&, as long as you stick to one card and the 60-minute rule. It is one of the cheapest ways to get into the city centre by car.

For hours, holidays and Ramadan schedules, go back to the Dubai Metro timings hub, or see the full picture in our Dubai public transport guide. More guides are on the Live In Gulf homepage.

Disclaimer: station list and fines are based on RTA’s penalty table and RTA advisories reported in 2025–2026, checked in October 2026. Car park fees and limits can change; check the signs at the car park entrance and rta.ae before you rely on them.