How to Pay for Parking in Dubai in the Easiest Manner

The Dubai traffic tends to be intense, particularly during the high tourist season. Finding a parking spot can be a challenge, especially if you don't know the location well. It's important to be aware of the parking fines in the city and know how to pay parking in Dubai with minimum effort.

If you're wondering how to pay parking, we'd like to share insights about hassle-free parking in Dubai through SMS. Dubai offers a modern automated SMS service to pay for parking using your mobile phone. It's called MParking but it's not necessary to remember its name. MParking enables locals and foreigners to pay for parking anywhere in the city. There are alternatives to it — but this method is the most user-friendly one. It was invented and implemented by the authorities, not a commercial structure. This means you can entirely trust it and be sure of its maximum safety.

MParking ensures convenient parking across all the city areas, including the most popular ones. The Dubai parking SMS system also takes timing into account. At first sight, things might seem a bit complicated. Yet in fact, the system is genuinely simple and it won't take you long to get accustomed to it.

Below, we'll clarify the specifics of Dubai parking through SMS. Hopefully, this information will ensure a smooth parking experience for everyone who rents a car in this city.

How to Pay for Parking Through SMS (Step-by-Step Guide)

The Dubai parking SMS system follows a set of rules established by the local Road and Transport Authority, also known as the Dubai RTA. Here is the scheme that enables you to pay your parking ticket with the help of an SMS service:

  1. Identify the parking zone in Dubai. The first way to do it is to open the RTA Dubai app or its website. Alternatively, look around for blue and orange signboards around you offline.
  2. Send an SMS to 7275. Specify your auto's plate number, Dubai parking zone number, and parking period.
  3. Receive a confirmation SMS.

Let's use an example to show how to pay for Dubai parking time. Imagine your plate number is A77777, parked in zone 444A for 3 hours. In this case, you should type in "A77777 444A 3". Don't forget to leave empty spaces between your parking zone code in Dubai and the other two elements of the message.

On the Internet, you can come across example messages that start with the B letter. It's put before the plate number and denotes that the driver parks a motorcycle instead of a car. For cars, there is no need to type any additional symbols at the beginning of the text.

Drivers of autos that got their plates in other emirates can also pay for parking by SMS in Dubai. In this case, the Dubai parking SMS format will be slightly different. It needs to include the emirate code and a space before the plate number. For instance, the SMS format for Sharjah plate will start with "SHJ2 empty space plate number".

The innovative Dubai parking SMS system will send you a notification 10-15 minutes before your parking time expires. If necessary, you'll be able to extend your parking duration by simply sending an SMS to the same number. Extending tends to be more cost-efficient than waiting for a new fee to be charged. If you're late with payments, you may face a violation fine.

Alternatives to MParking

MParking is not the only way of transferring the payment to the authorities. For instance, you can pay your parking fee with cash, like elderly people prefer, or with the help of an online chatbot. However, MParking outperforms them all for the following reasons:

  • SMS parking in Dubai doesn't require an Internet connection — you'll be able to cope with it even if you have a simple push-button phone
  • It's not necessary to download the RTA parking payment app or something else
  • Compared to the oldschool parking meter, it's a more environmentally friendly approach because it doesn't print out paper bills

The only prerequisite is to have enough funds on your balance and keep an eye on notifications.

Cost of Parking via SMS

When you pay parking fees in Dubai, they can fluctuate depending on the time of the day. The price for one hour can vary from AED 2 to 5. If you leave your vehicle for a longer time, you should be ready to pay the parking fee with a surcharge – for instance, AED 5 instead of AED 4 for two hours. However, only selected zones have a surcharge. In the others, you simply multiply the price of one hour by the number of hours. At night, the authorities normally allow drivers to leave their vehicles wherever they wish at no cost.

In addition to the parking charges, there might be a fee from your mobile carrier, especially if it's an international one. Please find out about it with your carrier in advance. The standard amount of the fee tends to be 30 fils.

Tip for Decreasing Your Spendings

If you're planning to stay in the city for a long time, there is a way to cut down on expenses. You may want to pay for Dubai seasonal parking with a physical or virtual prepaid card. In the former case, you should keep it on your auto's dashboard. In the latter case, it's enough to activate the virtual card in the RTA app. After that, you can happily forget about the payments until the end of the season.

The only drawback of this method is that it doesn't suit those who visit the city for a short while.

Conclusion

Hopefully, know you're aware of the Dubai parking fee and the general principles of the local car parking system! SMS is the easiest way of paying your parking in this vibrant city. The system is transparent and intuitive. It operates without a hitch at any time of the day and year. Most foreigners get accustomed to it within a day.