Dubai: Have a hard time searching for parking? Here’s how you can reserve a spot online

Dubai: If you have a hard time finding parking in the Dubai Marina or Dubai Media City area, you can instead pay Dh10 to reserve a parking spot online and save time.

The service - ‘Smart Parking Reservation’ (SPR) is provided by the Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and here's how you can use it.

· Dh10 for one hour.
· Dh20 for two hours.

According to RTA, the ‘Smart Parking Reservation’ is calculated per hour. The minimum stay is one hour and the maximum hour is 24 hours. If the car is parked for more than 24 hours, a fine of Dh1,000 will be imposed on the vehicle.

1. Download the ‘RTA Dubai’ app, which is available for Apple, Android and Huawei devices and log in with your UAE Pass account.
2. Next, swipe right until you see the Parking services section. Scroll down to the ‘Smart Parking Reservation’ service.
3. Tap on the area where you want to park. The service will also show you the parking zone, the number of empty slots, and the tariff.
4. Tap on the ‘Reserve Now’ button.
5. Add your vehicle plate number details.
6. Next, top up your parking amount balance on the app, so that you can pay for the reserved parking. To do so, tap on the ‘Top Up’ button and select the amount and pay with your credit or debit card or mobile wallet.
7. Once you have topped up your balance, tap on the ‘Reserve Now’ button.
8. You will then have to view the details of your reservation. Tap ‘Confirm’.

After that’s done, you will then get a notification that your parking spot has been reserved. Once you have reserved the spot, you will need to use it within two hours. Otherwise, the reservation will be cancelled.