Dubai: Parking facilities in the UAE are managed by different emirate-based transport authorities and while there are quite a few options for free parking around the UAE, most public places and commercial areas have paid parking.
The charge per hour and methods of payment can also vary from place to place, so here is a breakdown of all you need to know about paying for parking using your mobile.
Dubai
In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority has divided the parking zones into eight categories – Zones A to G and a separate category for multi-storey parking.
Parking zones, timings and charges
Zone A
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares:
- Half hour - Dh2
- 1 hour – Dh4
- 2 hours – Dh8
- 3 hours – Dh12
- 4 hours – Dh16
Zone B
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares:
- 1 hour – Dh3
- 2 hours – Dh6
- 3 hours – Dh9
- 4 hours – Dh12
- 5 hours – Dh15
- 24 hours – Dh20
Zone C
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares:
- 1 hour – Dh2
- 2 hours – Dh5
- 3 hours – Dh8
- 4 hours – Dh11
Zone D
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares:
- 1 hour – Dh2
- 2 hours – Dh4
- 3 hours – Dh5
- 4 hours – Dh7
Zone F
Timing: 8am-6pm
Fares:
- 1 hour – Dh2
- 2 hours – Dh5
- 3 hours – Dh8
- 4 hours – Dh11
Zone G
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares:
- 1 hour – Dh4
- 2 hours – Dh8
- 3 hours – Dh12
- 4 hours – Dh16
Zone H
Timing: 8am-10pm
Fares
- 1 hour – Dh4
- 2 hours – Dh8
- 3 hours – Dh12
- 4 hours – Dh16
Other parking zones
There are also a few other parking zones available: Zone I (Dh10 per hour) and Zone J (Dh2 per half hour, Dh4 per hour) have a maximum stay restriction of 3 hours.
Parking fees for Zones K and L range from Dh2 per half hour to Dh32 for 8 hours to 24 hours, wherein Zone K has a maximum stay period of 24 hours. Zones I, J and K are open for parking from 8am to 10pm while Zone L is open 24 hours.
Multi-storey
Timing: Open 24 hours
Fare:
- Dh5 per hour
Do I need to register for mParking in Dubai?
No, mParking services are available for number plates from anywhere within the UAE, as well as for cars from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. The service was earlier only for Dubai number plates.
What do I write in the SMS?
Motorists need to send a text message to 7275 (PARK on the dial pad) with the following message:
Emirate/Country code followed by the plate code <space> plate no. <space> area no. <space> and duration in hours
These are the emirate and country codes for Dubai mParking:
- Abu Dhabi Emirate AUH
- Sharjah Emirate SHJ
- Ajman Emirate AJM
- Umm Al Quwain Emirate UAQ
- Ras Al Khaimah Emirate RAK
- Fujairah Emirate FUJ
- Saudi Arabia KSA
- Kuwait KWT
- Bahrain BAH
- Oman OMN
If you have a Dubai number plate, you don’t need to enter the emirate or country code.
To register for a ticket for half an hour, which is valid for zone A, you can use the following time formats: 1/2, .5, .50, 0.5, 0.50, 30,30min, 30mins, 30minute and 30minutes.
Charges for mParking
Each SMS is charged at 30fils per text message. The reminder is free.
How to renew the parking
20 minutes before your parking ticket is about to expire, you will receive an SMS reminding you that the ticket is about to expire. If you want to extend the parking, you simply need to respond with a ‘Y’. This will extend the parking for an hour. If you want to extend for longer, reply with Y and the number of hours you wish to extend the parking for.
What if my ticket expires and I forget to move my car?
If you fail to extend your parking ticket, you can get fined by a Dubai traffic police officer for Dh100
Abu Dhabi
Mawaqif is the paid parking system in Abu Dhabi, and has been implemented in the most densely populated areas of the city.
Premium parking areas
- Timings: 8am to 12 midnight, Saturday to Thursday.
- Charges: Dh3 per hour
- Maximum stay allowed: Four hours
There are also multi-storey parkings operated by Mawaqif with the following charges:
- 1 hour - Dh2
- 1 day - Dh15
- 3 months - Dh1,369
- 6 months - Dh2,738
- 12 months - Dh5,475
Parking is free on Fridays, public holidays and for people of determination.
Additionally, parking bays in the vicinity of a mosque are free for 45 minutes starting from the call for prayer (Adhan).
What do I write in the SMS?
All vehicles registered in the UAE can use the mParking method. They need to send an SMS to 3009 with the following text:
- City and Plate code
plate number parking Type "Premium or Standard" duration in hours. - The parking type will be clearly mentioned in the parking signage, with either an ‘S’ for standard or ‘P’ for premium.
These are the city codes for vehicles:
- Abu Dhabi – AUH
- Dubai – DXB
- Sharjah – SHJ
- Ajman – AJM
- Fujairaj – FUJ
- Ras Al Khaimah – RAK
- Umm Al Quwain – UAQ
User will receive a confirmation message upon the completion of the request and a reminder message 10 minutes before permit expiry, which could be extended for another hour by sending "E" via SMS to the number 3009.
Registered users can use their Mawaqif account credit to pay parking fees by sending a message from the registered number to 3009 in the following format:
Car colour and plate category <space> plate number <space> parking category "premium or standard" <space> duration in hours.
Example:
- Red5 12345 S 4 (for 4 hours)
- Red5 12345 S 1 (for 1 hour)
https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/non-abu-dhabi-registered-vehicles-can-pay-for-parking-by-sms-1.2163929
Sharjah
Sharjah municipality has a standard charge for paid parking areas in the emirate. This means that if you have paid for an hour of parking, you can move your car from one paid parking zone to another without the need to pay for a new ticket.
Do I need to register mParking in Sharjah?
Vehicles with UAE-registered number plates do not need to register for mParking. GCC countries and non-private plate numbers need to register for the smsParking service here.
What do I write in the SMS?
Motorists need to send an SMS to 5566 with the following text:
- Plate source
Plate number Duration
For plate source, motorists need to enter the emirate in which the vehicle was registered.
- Sharjah: SHJ
- Dubai: DXB
- Abu Dhabi: AUH
- Ras Al Khaimah: RAK
- Ajman: AJM
- Fujairah: FUJ
- Umm Al Quwain: UAQ
Charges for mParking
Payments are charged at 38fils per text message.
How to renew the parking
15 minutes before your parking ticket is about to expire, you will receive an SMS reminding you that the ticket is about to expire. If you want to extend the parking, you simply need to respond with a ‘Y’. This will extend the parking for an hour. If you want to extend for longer, reply with Y and the number of hours you wish to extend the parking for.
What if my ticket expires and I forget to move my car?
If you fail to extend your parking ticket, you can get fined by a Sharjah traffic police officer for Dh100.
Ajman
In Ajman, motorists can send an SMS to 5155, following this format:
- Plate source
Plate category Plate number
So for a Dubai number plate - A 2xx2 - you would need to enter the following text: DXB A 2xx2
