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Here's what you should know about parking and the facilities available in Dubai
13 March 2016
| Last updated on 19 January 2020
We've been there, and completely understand... Parking in Dubai can be quite daunting at first! As it always is whenever you're familiarising yourself with a new place. Of course, once you become at one with the roads here, parking is a piece of cake!
As with any journey you make, ensure you plan it beforehand and have an idea of where you need to park at your destination. It's always best to be prepared when venturing out on the busy roads.
There's plenty of side street parking available around Dubai, but of course, paying an hourly fee is required to use the space.
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Don't worry, it's pretty easy to pay for your parking. Find the nearest orange parking sign, which indicates the parking zone in which you're in. Fees are charged by the hour, and require a payment either by Dirham coins in the machine, or via your mobile phone.
Paying with Dirham coins at the machine
This way is pretty simple, simply select how many hours you wish to use the space for and insert the required amount of Dirham coins into the machine.
Your ticket will be printed for you, which you can then clearly display on the bonnet of your car.
! If you park a lot and are no good with your mobile phone, we find it handy to keep a small collection of coins in your car at all times to ensure you don't get stuck for Dirhams!
Paying via mparking system
The Roads Transport Authority (RTA) here in Dubai have an mparking system, which allows residents and visitors from across the United Arab Emirates to pay for public parking fees.
This can be done via SMS from their Etisalat or du mobile phones.
Of course, the benefits of this service is that you don't need to carry a handful of Dirham coins with you wherever you go, and you can extend your parking time without having to walk to the parking meter to top up.
SEE ALSO: Learning to drive in Dubai
Dubai registered vehicles may use the service immediately, whereas vehicles from other Emirates must require sign-up first at the mparking website, here.
Here's the procedure for using the mparking system:
- Locate a public parking area
- Look for the parking sign with the zone number: the number is located at the bottom of the parking sign
- Determine how long you need to park for
- Note your plate number or if you have signed up on the mparking website, then recall your vehicle's short name
- Create a new SMS to 7275 (PARK) from your mobile phone
- Send!
Ta-da, you should receive a confirmation text message to let you know that your space has been successfully paid for.
