Every year the same thing happens. Ramadan starts, the city switches to a later rhythm, and half of Abu Dhabi discovers the parking meters have moved too – usually after a ticket turns up on the windscreen outside a shawarma place at 11pm. Mawaqif paid parking hours and Darb toll gate peak windows both change for the holy month, and they have not changed the same way two years in a row.
This page is the one we refresh every Ramadan. Below you will find the timings Q Mobility last announced (Ramadan 2026), what that means in practice, the Eid free days, the mosque parking rules police actually enforce and what we know so far about Ramadan 2027. When the 2027 timings are officially confirmed, this page gets updated – same link, no need to hunt.
Quick Answers
- Ramadan 2027: expected to begin on or around Monday 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting
- Mawaqif in Ramadan 2026: paid 9am to 6pm and again 9pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday – free Sundays
- Darb in Ramadan 2026: AED 4 per crossing, 8am to 10am and 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday – free Sundays
- Resident permit bays: still permit-holders only from 9pm to 8am during Ramadan
- Eid Al Fitr: Mawaqif and Darb have been free for the official Eid holiday – but the newer Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates charge 24/7
- Mosque parking: AED 500 for blocking another car in, up to AED 1,000 for parking on pavements or undesignated spots
When Is Ramadan 2027?
Based on the UAE’s astronomical projections, Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027. The month runs 29 or 30 days depending on the lunar cycle, which puts Eid Al Fitr on or around Wednesday 10 March 2027. Both dates are expected, not confirmed – the UAE’s moon-sighting committee makes the official call the evening before, so treat anything you read before then as a very educated estimate.
For reference, Ramadan 2026 began on Wednesday 18 February 2026 and Eid Al Fitr fell on Friday 20 March 2026. Ramadan moves roughly 10 to 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar, so from 2027 onwards it lands in the cooler months – good news for anyone circling a car park looking for shade.
Ramadan 2026 Timings (Last Announced)
Q Mobility, the operator that runs Mawaqif and Darb for Abu Dhabi Mobility, announced the Ramadan 2026 schedule on 16 February 2026, two days before the month began. Here is how it compared with the usual year-round timings.
| Service | Normal timings | Ramadan 2026 timings |
|---|---|---|
| Mawaqif surface parking | 8am to midnight, Monday to Saturday | 9am to 6pm and 9pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday |
| Mawaqif rates | AED 2 per hour standard, AED 3 per hour premium | Unchanged: AED 2 standard, AED 3 premium |
| Resident permit bays | Permit holders only, 9pm to 8am | No change announced: permit holders only, 9pm to 8am |
| Darb bridge gates (Sas Al Nakhl, Al Maqta, Rabdan, Al Saadiyat) | 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday | 8am to 10am and 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday |
| Darb fee | AED 4 per crossing | AED 4 per crossing |
| Sundays | Parking and Darb bridge gates free | Parking and Darb bridge gates free |
| Public buses (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain) | Regular schedule | 6am to 1am daily, 24-hour routes unchanged |
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: The free window in Ramadan 2026 was 6pm to 9pm – precisely iftar and the hour after. Park for iftar at 6.30pm and you are fine until 9pm, but if you are still lingering over the kunafa at 9.15pm the meter is running again. Set a reminder on your phone, or pay through the Darb app so you can extend without leaving the table.
How Mawaqif Parking Changes in Ramadan
Outside Ramadan, Mawaqif paid parking runs in one long block from 8am to midnight, Monday to Saturday. During Ramadan 2026 it split into two sessions: a daytime block from 9am to 6pm and a late-night block from 9pm to 2am. The logic is simple enough – the city starts later, pauses for iftar and then comes alive again well past midnight, so the meters follow the crowds.
The part that catches people out is the late session. In a normal month, parking is free from midnight. In Ramadan 2026 you were paying until 2am, which is exactly when suhoor tents, cafes and the malls are at their busiest. Rates did not change: AED 2 an hour in standard bays and AED 3 an hour in premium zones on the busiest commercial streets.
Worth knowing, too, that Ramadan hours have genuinely varied year to year. In Ramadan 2023 and 2024, for example, Mawaqif simply kept its normal 8am to midnight hours and only Darb shifted. The 2026 split schedule was new. That is why last year’s screenshot on a WhatsApp group is not a reliable guide – check the current announcement.
How to pay
- Darb app: the easiest way to start and extend a session remotely
- TAMM: the Abu Dhabi government services app and website
- SMS: send your parking details to 3009
- Machines: on-street payment machines in Mawaqif zones
If you do get caught out, our guide to checking, paying and appealing a Mawaqif fine walks you through it. And if your iftar is at a mall with ticketless entry, the rules there are covered in our Free Flow parking explainer – those car parks follow their own posted tariffs rather than the street meter schedule.
Resident Permit Zones: The 9pm Rule Still Applies
Resident permit bays – the ones marked with a solid turquoise line or a “Resident Permit Only” sign – are reserved for permit holders from 9pm to 8am. Nothing in the Ramadan announcements changed that, and the Integrated Transport Centre has previously reminded drivers specifically to keep out of residential bays between 9pm and 8am during the holy month.
This matters more in Ramadan than at any other time of year. Visiting family for iftar, a late majlis or suhoor at a friend’s villa all happen after 9pm, which is exactly when these bays switch to residents only. If you are the guest, park in a public bay (and pay if it is within the late paid window) rather than borrowing a neighbour’s space and hoping the scanner car does not drive past.
Darb Toll Gate Timings in Ramadan
The Darb toll normally charges AED 4 per crossing on the island’s bridge gates from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. In Ramadan 2026 those peak windows moved to 8am to 10am and 2pm to 6pm, reflecting shorter government and private sector working hours. Sundays stayed free.
One big change since Ramadan 2026: two new gates opened at Ghantoot and Al Qurm in May 2026, and they charge AED 4 per crossing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They were excluded from the Eid Al Adha 2026 holiday suspension, so do not expect the Ramadan peak-hour schedule, Sundays or Eid to make them free. The daily and monthly caps were also scrapped in September 2025, so every crossing counts.
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Top up your Darb wallet in the week before Ramadan starts. The shifted afternoon window means the drive home and the pre-iftar supermarket run often fall inside charging hours, and a low balance is the fastest way to turn a AED 4 crossing into a fine.
Public Buses in Ramadan
If you would rather leave the car at home, the Integrated Transport Centre published these Ramadan 2026 bus timings:
- Abu Dhabi city and suburbs: 6am to 1am daily, with 24-hour routes running as usual
- Al Ain and suburbs: 6am to 1am daily
- Al Dhafra: normal schedules with minor adjustments, and services pause during iftar
- On-Demand Bus: 6am to 11pm daily
- Abu Dhabi Express: 6am to 11pm Monday to Friday, 6am to 1am at weekends
- Customer Happiness Centres: 9am to 2.30pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to noon on Fridays
Eid Al Fitr: Free Parking and Darb Days
Eid Al Fitr is where Abu Dhabi drivers get their reward. For Eid Al Fitr 2026, Mawaqif public parking and the Darb bridge gates were free from Thursday 19 March to Sunday 22 March, with charges resuming on Monday 23 March. Truck parking at Musaffah M-18 was also waived for the official holiday.
The pattern for Eid Al Adha 2026 was the same idea with two important caveats: multi-storey car parks were excluded from the free parking, and the Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates kept charging around the clock. Expect Eid Al Fitr 2027 to follow a similar format, but the exact free days depend on the official public holiday announcement, which only arrives once the Shawwal moon is sighted.
Mosque Parking Etiquette and Fines
Taraweeh prayers fill neighbourhood mosques every night of Ramadan, and the streets around them fill with cars parked in every creative configuration imaginable. Police and the transport authorities are well aware and remind drivers every year. The fines that apply:
- AED 500: parking behind another vehicle and blocking its movement (Article 60 of the federal traffic rules)
- AED 500: improper parking (Article 64)
- Up to AED 1,000: parking on pavements or in undesignated areas
The etiquette is as simple as the law: use the mosque car park or a legal bay, never double-park across someone’s exit, keep pavements and junctions clear, and leave promptly after prayers so the next wave can get in. If you are not praying, avoid the mosque car park entirely during prayer times. For the full list of violations and how the 35% early-payment discount works, see our Abu Dhabi traffic fines guide.
What Stays the Same
- Parking rates per hour (AED 2 standard, AED 3 premium) and the AED 4 Darb fee
- Sundays free for Mawaqif surface parking and the Darb bridge gates
- Resident permit bays reserved from 9pm to 8am
- Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates charging 24/7
- Every standard parking and traffic fine
Ramadan 2027: We Will Update This Page
Ramadan 2027 parking and Darb timings have not been announced yet. Based on recent years, Q Mobility and Abu Dhabi Mobility tend to publish them in the final days before the month begins – Ramadan 2026’s schedule arrived just two days ahead. As soon as the 2027 timings are official, the table above gets replaced and the 2026 figures move into the history notes. Bookmark this page and you will not need to go digging.
How to check the official announcement yourself
- Q Mobility: qmobility.ae and its official social media channels, plus the call centre on 800 3009
- Abu Dhabi Mobility: admobility.gov.ae news section for public transport timings
- TAMM and the Darb app: updated timings usually appear in-app once confirmed
- WAM: the Emirates News Agency carries official government announcements
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Be wary of timing graphics shared on social media in the first days of Ramadan. Many are recycled from previous years, and Abu Dhabi’s schedule has changed shape more than once. If it does not name the current year and the announcing authority, assume it is out of date.
Once the parking is sorted, the fun part is deciding where to break your fast. Our round-up of the best iftar and suhoor offers in Abu Dhabi is a good place to start, and there are more ideas in our guide to magical Ramadan spots around the capital.
FAQs
In Ramadan 2026, Mawaqif paid parking ran from 9am to 6pm and from 9pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday, with free parking on Sundays. Ramadan 2027 timings will be announced by Q Mobility shortly before the month begins.
Under the Ramadan 2026 schedule, yes. Surface parking was free between 6pm and 9pm, which covers iftar, before charges resumed at 9pm until 2am.
In Ramadan 2026 the bridge gates charged AED 4 per crossing from 8am to 10am and 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and were free on Sundays. The Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates charge 24 hours a day, every day.
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid Al Fitr expected around 10 March 2027. Both dates depend on the official moon sighting.
Yes, Mawaqif public parking and the Darb bridge gates have been free for the official Eid Al Fitr holiday. In 2026 that was 19 to 22 March. Multi-storey car parks and the Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates may still charge.
Only with a valid resident permit. Resident permit bays remain reserved for permit holders from 9pm to 8am during Ramadan.
Blocking another vehicle carries an AED 500 fine, and parking on pavements or in undesignated areas can cost up to AED 1,000.
Details checked September 2026. Ramadan timings are set fresh each year by Q Mobility and Abu Dhabi Mobility, so confirm the current announcement in the Darb app, on TAMM or by calling 800 3009 before you rely on free parking.
