Dubai: Visitors to Dubai from surrounding emirates and other GCC countries can now pay for their parking using their mobile phones through mParking.
The service was earlier only for Dubai number plates but has now been extended to include all six other emirates and four other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
As with the Dubai plate mParking you just have to send a message to 7275 which details the emirate abbreviation and plate code, followed by a space, plate number, space, area number and code within which you have parked, and a space followed by a duration in hours.
Emirate abbreviations are RAK for Ras Al Khaimah, UAQ for Umm Al Quwain, FUJ for Fujairah, AJM for Ajman, SHJ for Sharjah and AUH for Abu Dhabi.
For other countries this process changes slightly, Kuwait and Bahrain are the same with KWT or BAH preceeding a plate code together, with a space, plate number, space, area number and code, space, and duration, but Saudi Arabia and Oman must start with KSA or OMN with a space, before stating a plate number followed by a plate code together, with a space before quoting the area number and code, space and duration.
This is for private cars, but for non-private and registered cars you have to register via www.rta.ae or by calling 8009090 after which you can put a nickname followed by an area number/code and duration with spaces inbetween all three.
Motorbikes must also put a ‘B’ to signify that their vehicle is a motorbike followed by an emirate abbreviation and plate code together, before a space, plate number, space area number and code, space and duration.
This development will make it a whole lot easier for visitors to the emirate to pay for their parking by text message, especially if they don’t have change to put in the meter.
All SMSs cost 30 fils and you get a free reminder before your time is up.
The process for Dubai mParking remains the same, no emirate or country code is required and you can just type your plate code and number followed by area and duration straight into the text message with spaces between all three.
