Mall of the Emirates has paid parking too, as far as I recall.

Again, because people were using the shopping center's parking and then taking the metro to work. 

This whole discussion is the same as the one we had about when Souq Waqif introduced paid parking years ago.  And everyone screamed and complained and said that they would never go back, and this would be the end of the souq. 

And in the end, the souq is busier than ever.