In a clever collaboration between Emaar Malls and toll gate operator Salik, one of the world's most renowned retail malls, Dubai Mall, is on the verge of implementing a barrier-free paid parking system.
Dubai Mall Parking to Utilise Salik's Barrier-Free System
This initiative marks Salik's venture into diversifying its revenue streams beyond toll gates and aims to provide a seamless parking experience for mall visitors.
Operational Timeline
It is expected that the new parking management system will be fully functional by the third quarter of 2024. According to the release, Salik is in charge of the system's design, funding, development, installation, and management, while Dubai Mall provides the required local infrastructure, office space, and maintenance for the parking facility, which boasts more than 13,000 spots.
Fee collection mechanism
The ticketless parking system records entrance and leave timings based on the collected plate numbers using automated number plate recognition and RFID technology. The exact fees that will be collected from Salik user accounts have not yet been defined by Emaar Malls. Salik has entered the private parking market in Dubai, which is believed to have more than 50,000 places, through this partnership.
About Salik
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai implemented Salik in 2007 as a means of automatically collecting road tolls. Because it was designed to allow traffic to run uninterruptedly without the need for human toll payments, the name "Salik" means "seamless mobility" in Arabic. Across Dubai's main roadway, Sheikh Zayed Road, Salik now oversees eight toll gates.
Growth Plans
RTA has granted Salik, a publicly traded corporation since June 2022, a concession agreement for the operation of Dubai's toll gates for the duration of 2071. This encompasses forthcoming as well as current gates. Salik is presently investigating potential avenues for augmenting its market share in Dubai's private parking sector, which boasts a substantial fleet of four million vehicles and over two million registered accounts.
Anticipated Benefits
The collaboration aims to enhance customer convenience by eliminating gates or barriers at Dubai Mall, reducing congestion, and optimising traffic flow. Ahmed Almatrooshi, an Emaar Properties executive board member, expressed optimism that this initiative would exceed visitor expectations, reinforcing Dubai Mall's standing as a premier shopping and lifestyle destination.
