Abu Dhabi SMS Parking Guide

Introduction

Finding a parking spot in famous cities is like a puzzle, but Mawaqif has resolved this problem in Abu Dhabi.

Mawaqif is the official parking system of the government that is designed by the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi.

This system determines parking fees across the city and offers a diverse set of services online like:

• SMS Parking Payment
• Rechargeable Parking Cards
• Residential Parking Permits
• Parking Violation Notifications
• Parking Availability Updates 

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the Abu Dhabi SMS parking service. So if you have a plan to travel to this city, you’d better read this full guide on the Abu Dhabi SMS parking system.

Step-by-Step Guide to Abu Dhabi Parking SMS

Try to get familiar with all the details to avoid misunderstanding.

1. Learn about Different Parking Zones

First, you must know the various parking zones in Abu Dhabi. Look at the following summary:

• Standard Parking: Spot blue-and-black signs to find the standard parking spaces. It’s AED 2 an hour. You can also grab a full day for AED 15. Perfect for both quick stops or longer hangs.

• Premium Parking: Blue-and-white signs show premium parking zones. As it comes from the name, these zones are pricier and you need to pay AED 3 an hour. Abu Dhabi doesn’t offer any daily rate for these spots, so plan accordingly.

• Residential Parking: These parking spots are only available for residents. 

• Free Parking: Fortunately, there are some areas in Abu Dhabi where you can park for free on Fridays, public holidays, or off-peak hours (like 9 PM to 8 AM in certain spots).

So you must ensure what type of parking zone you’re in. Also, check the details of parking fees and fines before choosing the parking spot:

Category	Details	Charges (AED)
Standard Parking	Per hour	2
	Per day	15
Premium Parking	Per hour	3
SMS Cost	Per message (charged by telecom provider)	0.30
Non-payment of Parking Fees	Fine for not paying the parking fee	100
Exceeding Paid Parking Time	Fine for overstaying beyond the paid duration	50
Parking in a Restricted Area	Fine depending on the severity	200 – 1,000

2. Learn about Payment Methods

Abu Dhabi offers diverse and easy methods for parking payment. Look at the methods to see how you can pay for parking zones in Abu Dhabi:

• Cash 
• Mawaqif rechargeable card
• SMS payment
• Darbi application 
• Credit Card, AED 15 minimum
• TAMM Platform

SMS parking payment is the most convenient method in Abu Dhabi.

3. Type the SMS in the Correct Format

To pay for parking via SMS, you need to type the SMS in the following format:

CityCodePlateCode PlateNumber ParkingType Duration

Here is a breakdown of its components:

• CityCode: This is the abbreviation of the emirate where your vehicle is registered. For example, use AUH for Abu Dhabi and DXB for Dubai.
• PlateCode: The code on your vehicle’s license plate.
• PlateNumber: Your vehicle’s license plate number.
• ParkingType: ‘S‘ for Standard Parking, ‘P‘ for Premium Parking.
• Duration: Number of hours you want to park.

Look at the following example to learn how to write parking SMS in Abu Dhabi.

• Abu Dhabi registered vehicle
• Plate code ‘A’ 
• Number ‘12345’
• Plan to park in a standard zone for 2 hours

The content of the SMS should be: AUHA 12345 S 2.

4. Send the Message and Receive Confirmation

Now, you need to send the SMS to 3009 and wait for a confirmation message with your parking details.

Please make sure you have enough credit if you’re using a prepaid SIM. In fact, the parking fee will be paid from your phone balance or will be added to your bill (for postpaid users).

5. How to Extend Parking Time via SMS

Many times people need to extend their parking. To do that, you just have to repeat the SMS process before your current parking session expires.

For example, if you initially reserved the parking spot for 2 hours and want to extend it by 1 hour, you must send: AUHA 12345 S 1. This will add an hour to your existing session. 

6. Checking Your Parking Status

To check if your parking is active, look at your confirmation text message. If you didn’t get one, make sure: 

• You sent the correct format.
• You have sufficient balance (for prepaid users).
• You sent the SMS to 3009.

6. Cancelling a Parking Ticket

Currently, once you start a parking session, you cannot cancel it or receive a refund. Make sure you input the correct duration before sending the SMS.

Conclusion

Parking in Abu Dhabi is not hard because the government has prepared one of the most advanced parking systems in the world. With Mawaqif’s SMS system, you can pay for your spot using just your phone. Whether it’s a quick stop in a standard zone or a longer stay in a premium one, you can easily pay the fee using SMS. This guide helps you learn how to prepare the SMS and send it to extend the parking duration. Next time you’re in Abu Dhabi, use this simple trick to park like a champ. Have a great trip!

FAQs