Relief for motorists: Sharjah provides 10 smart parking yards comprising 2,421 parking spaces

Sharjah City Municipality (SCM) has affirmed that providing more public parking lots and subjecting them to fees in Sharjah’s cities and regions in co-operation with the municipalities of the emirate is a priority of municipal work.

It comes as part of the annual development plans aimed at improving public services and facilities to keep pace with the emirate’s urban and population growth and increasing tourism activity in a way that contributes to achieving customer satisfaction and happiness and meeting the aspirations of public parking users, it added.

As part of its continuous endeavor to provide additional parking solutions in all areas, the SCM launched a smart parking yards service as an innovative alternative to conventional paid public parking, , said Hamed Al Qaed, Director of SCM Public Parking Department.

“Unlike regular parking zones, the smart parking yards operate on a 24/7 basis with no free hours, ensuring continuous availability for residents and visitors. The yards are clearly marked with dedicated signage and equipped with cameras at entry and exit points to automatically read number plates and calculate fees. Long-term subscription options as well as short-term parking are available,” he added.

Hamed Al Qaed, Director of Sharjah City Municipality Public Parking Department.

“To date, SCM has established 10 AI-driven smart parking yards across Sharjah, providing 2,421 parking spaces. Work is underway to develop six additional yards, which will add 1,457 new spaces, with opening scheduled soon,” he said.

Fees for smart parking yards are paid through the Digital Sharjah app, and not through SMS service or the seasonal subscriptions approved for public parking, he added.

He explained that the smart parking yards provide customers with multiple options in terms of duration, starting from one hour up to five hours, adding that there are also daily, weekly, monthly or annual subscriptions that can be subscribed to through the app. provided that these subscriptions are limited to the smart parking yards only.

The smart parking yards operate according to an advanced mechanism, where the vehicle enters the yard through the designated entrance and the smart cameras installed at the gate read the vehicle’s number plate and record its data, he said.

When the vehicle exits, the number plate is read again, so that the system automatically calculates the parking time and sends a notification to the vehicle owner via the Digital Sharjah app., which shows the parking time and the fees due to complete the payment process, he added.

Al Qaed stressed that these yards represent smart and effective solutions to meet the increasing demand for public parking, especially in tourist and commercial areas, noting that the municipality is continuously working to monitor the parking needs of different areas and prepare them according to annual plans, field reports, and public feedback.