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Sharjah's midnight parking rule begins: Did residents finally find spots near home?
Residents across Al Nahda, Al Majaz and Al Mahatta share mixed experiences, with some finding parking faster while others say it is too early to judge impact
- PUBLISHED: Thu 2 Jul 2026, 2:17 PM
The first night of Sharjah's new midnight parking rule brought relief to some residents, but not to everyone. While some motorists finally managed to park close to home without spending 20 to 30 minutes searching, others said roadworks, heavy traffic and busy commercial areas continued to make finding a space difficult.
From July 1, paid public parking hours across Sharjah were extended to midnight, as opposed to the earlier 10pm cut-off. The municipality said the move followed a detailed study of parking demand and feedback from residents and visitors. Officials earlier said that the seasonal parking subscription holders, as well as customers visiting restaurants and cafeterias, often struggled to find parking after 10pm.
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On the first day of the new rule, Khaleej Times spoke to residents across different neighbourhoods to find out whether the additional two paid hours had made a difference. While some said they found parking much more easily than before, others felt it was too early to judge, with traffic, roadworks and local conditions continuing to affect parking availability.
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For Govind, who lives in Lily Tower in Al Nahda 1, the change offered some relief for a short while.
"At around 10pm, I could still see a few parking spaces available near my building. Normally, by that time everything would already be full," he said. "It definitely felt like a breather because I found parking within a few minutes instead of driving around for 20 or 30 minutes like I usually do. But by around 11pm, almost every space was occupied again."
Govind, who does not have a dedicated parking space in his building, said many motorists prefer parking in the area because it offers quick access to Dubai during the morning rush.
Shameem Hussain, another Al Nahda 1 resident also noticed a difference. He said there were still several vacant parking spaces until around 9.30pm, something he had not seen before.
"I don't think many people realised the new timings had started. Later around 10pm, residents who were out for a cup of karak at night, were talking about it. That's when many came to know that parking was no longer free after 10pm," he said.
Shameem believes it may take a few days before people adjust to the new timings, after which the real impact of the rule will become clearer.
The experience was different in Al Majaz 2. Malik Khan, a resident of City Centre Building, said he was still unable to find parking near his building on the first night.
"Our area has been under pressure because of the roadworks around Al Khan and Al Taawun," he said. "Many people who are affected by the construction look for parking in nearby neighbourhoods like ours. We usually have enough parking spaces, but even the private parking lots fills up quickly."
He said he did notice a few vacant public parking spaces compared to previous nights, but not enough to make a major difference. "Our area is always busier on weekends because of the restaurants, the Corniche and families visiting the area. We will probably know the real impact only after the weekend," he added.
A few kilometres away in Al Majaz 1, Abdel Rahman said he noticed a couple of empty parking spaces but was not convinced the new rule deserved all the credit. "There were a couple of parking spaces available, but I think the heavy traffic and ongoing roadworks have also played a role," he said.
"Many people are reaching home much later than usual because of delays on the roads. It may take a few more days before we know whether the new parking timings are making a difference," he added.
Saqib Armar, who lives near Al Mahatta Museum, said that parking patterns in his neighbourhood are different. "Most of us already have monthly parking subscriptions, so we still try to reach home early to get a space near our buildings," he said.
"Al Mahatta is a busy shopping area, and parking usually becomes available only after around 11.30pm, when shoppers leave. I didn't notice a major change on the first night."
Sharjah Municipality has said the extension of paid parking hours is intended to improve parking availability, increase turnover and reduce misuse of public parking spaces, particularly in busy residential and commercial areas.
While the first night produced mixed results across different neighbourhoods, many residents agreed on one point — it will take a few more days, or first weekend under the new timings, before they can say whether the midnight parking rule has solved the problem.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.