Roads and Transport Authority has confirmed a series of transport and parking changes across Dubai for the Eid Al Adha 2026 holiday, including free public parking, extended Dubai Metro operating hours and updated public bus schedules.

The announcement covers public parking zones, the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, buses, marine transport services and customer happiness centres during the long Eid break.

Free parking across city

Dubai residents and visitors will be able to use public parking spaces free of charge from Monday, May 25, until Friday, May 29.

The RTA clarified that the free parking arrangement applies to all public parking zones except multi-storey parking terminals, which will continue operating with regular paid tariffs.

The update comes shortly after Parkin expanded its smart parking system across parts of Dubai using AI-powered parking cameras and digital payment technologies.

Metro and tram timings

Dubai Metro Red and Green Line stations will operate daily from 5am until 1am the following day between May 25 and May 31, giving commuters and Eid visitors extended travel flexibility across the city.

Meanwhile, Dubai Tram services will run from 6am to 1am the following day during the Eid holiday period.

The extended operating hours are expected to support increased movement across shopping destinations, tourist attractions and Eid events taking place around Dubai.

Bus schedules

RTA also confirmed temporary adjustments to some bus services during the holiday.

Passengers travelling between Dubai and Abu Dhabi should note that the Bus Route E100 from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station will be suspended from May 25 to May 31.

Travellers heading to Abu Dhabi are instead advised to use Bus Route E101 operating from Ibn Battuta Bus Station.

Updated bus schedules and timings will remain available through the S’hail smart application.

RTA centres

All RTA Customer Happiness Centres will remain closed during the Eid Al Adha break.

However, Smart Customer Happiness Centres at Umm Ramool and smart kiosks across locations, including Deira, Al Barsha, Al Tawar, Al Kifaf and the RTA Head Office, will continue operating 24 hours a day throughout the holiday.

Dubai typically sees a major rise in public transport usage during Eid holidays as residents and tourists move across shopping malls, beaches, entertainment destinations and family gatherings throughout the emirate.

The Central Bank of the UAE has instructed financial institutions across the country to strengthen fraud prevention systems and tighten customer authentication procedures as digital banking scams continue evolving globally.

The move comes as the UAE expands its efforts to protect consumers and strengthen confidence in the country’s financial system amid growing use of online banking and digital payment services.

According to the Central Bank, banks and financial institutions are now required to improve how they verify transactions and avoid depending on a single authentication method, such as SMS alerts or one-time passwords (OTPs), which fraudsters increasingly target through sophisticated cyber scams.

Real-time fraud monitoring

The regulator also confirmed it has started building a new Anti-Fraud Operations Centre known as CAFOC, which will act as a central platform for monitoring suspicious activity in real time and coordinating rapid responses across the banking sector.

The new centre is expected to combine advanced tracking systems, analytical tools and data-driven fraud detection capabilities designed to identify emerging threats faster and improve coordination between banks and government authorities.

The Central Bank added that the anti-fraud framework will also help collect and analyse fraud trends and behavioural patterns, allowing regulators to develop more targeted supervisory policies and interventions.

The latest measures arrive as financial fraud risks continue rising worldwide alongside rapid digital transformation and increased reliance on mobile banking, online transactions and electronic payment systems.

Authorities said ongoing engagement with banks and licensed financial institutions has helped strengthen implementation of the updated requirements and improve the sector’s readiness to deal with increasingly complex fraud threats.

Cybersecurity and financial fraud prevention have become major priorities for regulators globally, with many countries introducing stricter digital authentication standards as online scams become more advanced.

The UAE is set for another hot day on Friday before weather conditions begin to shift over the weekend, bringing dust, stronger winds, and slightly cooler temperatures across parts of the country.

According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), Friday’s weather will remain generally fair, although temperatures are expected to rise slightly in several areas.

Inland regions could see temperatures climb between 40°C and 46°C, while coastal and island areas are forecast to reach between 36°C and 42°C. Mountainous areas will remain comparatively cooler, with temperatures ranging from 27°C to 32°C.

Winds are expected to stay light to moderate during the day but may strengthen at times, reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h and creating rougher sea conditions in the Arabian Gulf later at night. The Oman Sea is expected to remain slight to moderate.

The weather is then forecast to change on Saturday, with dust and blowing sand likely to affect parts of the UAE as winds become more active. Temperatures are also expected to ease slightly compared to Friday.

By Sunday, skies could turn partly cloudy, especially in eastern areas, while humidity levels are expected to increase overnight and into Monday morning across some coastal and internal regions. Forecasters also warned of possible mist formation in western areas during the early morning hours.

Looking ahead to Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are expected to rise again gradually, with generally fair to partly cloudy weather continuing across the country. Sea conditions are also forecast to improve, becoming calmer in both the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea by early next week.

The shifting conditions come as the UAE moves deeper into the summer season, with residents already experiencing rising temperatures and occasional dusty weather patterns across several emirates.

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