Abu Dhabi, Dubai to offer free parking during Eid

Transport authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have announced free car parking across the Gulf emirates during the week of the Eid Al Fitr holiday. In Dubai, all paid parking spaces with the exception of the emirate’s Fish Market will be free from Sunday, August 28 through to Friday, September 2, the city’s transport authority said. Parking spots in the capital will be free from Tuesday, August 30 to Friday, September 2. The Islamic Crescent Observation Project said last week it expects the first day of Eid Al Fitr to fall on Wednesday, 31 August. The UAE last week announced a five-day Eid Al Fitr holiday for the public sector to begin on Sunday, August 28. Government employees will return to work on Sunday, September 4. Staff in the private sector will receive a two-day paid holiday, to fall on the first two days of Shawwal, which is expected to begin on Wednesday, August 31. Dubai’s RTA last week said operating hours on the city’s metro system would be extended until midnight on weekdays and up to 1am on weekends, from September 3. The new timetable will apply to both the Red and Green Line, which is scheduled to begin operations on September 9, in a bid to meet increased demand, the authority said. The total number of trains deployed on both the Red and Green Lines will rise to 50 during peak time and 28 during off-peak time. From / Arabian Business News