One of the biggest gripes experienced by drivers in the UAE, isn’t so much the other crazy drivers wreaking havoc on the roads but the hours it takes to find that perfect parking spot.
Understanding this problem is fellow UAE resident Craig McDonald, who has taken note of the demand and devised what could be the best idea to come to the region – seriously, we’re kicking ourselves for not coming up with it first.
McDonald has come up with “Airbnb for parking”, launching Yalla Parking, a website that allows people to list unused parking spaces for others to rent.
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McDonald is the co-founder of the self-funded website with pal Harrison Jones, who previously worked in corporate finance.
“We want to make parking easy here in the UAE,” reads the company tagline. “Need a parking space in Dubai or Abu Dhabi? Don’t worry, search our listings and rent one from a neighbour!”
Yalla Parking website is easy enough to navigate
With the site still in a soft launch phase the percentage commission rate is yet to be finalised and currently no online payment systems are in place. However, monthly rental rates range from Dhs250 to Dhs500, which isn’t bad when you consider car park spots, on average are five to 10 per cent of the monthly rental price of near-by flats.
While the number of parking spaces is continuing to grow, the list currently includes spots in some of the UAE’s most populated residential areas including Downtown Dubai and JBR.
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As with regular Airbnb in the region, they are some finer legal details that Yalla Parking need to adhere to – getting permissions from individual property landlords could be tricky – but in an interview with The National, McDonald insists this is something that he and his lawyers are looking into.
In the meantime, the site is garnering attention, and some positive feedback means the idea of a Yalla Parking app could be a reality sooner rather than later.
