If you are going to the Hamad International Airport (HIA) to receive a friend or relative, then it is wise to know about the new parking rates that will be implemented at the facility from January 1, 2018.   

Once the changes are in place, the parking rate at the Short Term Car Park (STCP) will increase from QR5 to QR6 per hour, reported Gulf Times.

The HIA also announced that a person will be entitled to only 10 minutes of free parking grace period in the STCP upon entrance. Similarly, the grace period on exit-time — between making the payment and the vehicle leaving the car park — has been reduced to 15 minutes, according to The Peninsula.

Meanwhile, the HIA said the Long Term Car Park charge system will change to provide one option of QR45 per day. Several other flexible options are set to follow soon.

“Hamad International Airport would like to inform its customers that it’ll be revising its tariffs at the airport car park(s), in line with its commitment to provide an enhanced car parking product via a professional car park operator, as convenience of car parking at the airport is an integral part of the passenger experience,” an HIA statement said. 

HIA stressed that as it ‘moves into a new phase of its development and is gearing up to host major international events, it’s important to make the necessary investments for the right infrastructure.’

‘Increasing our fees is part of a natural growth process, and it’s also in line with traffic management improvement around the terminals. It’s important, however, to highlight that HIA’s parking fees remain one of the lowest charges across all airports around the world,’ the statement added.