These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you (“you”, “User”) and Abdulla Alhashmi Marketing Management, a sole establishment licensed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (trade licence no. 1371998, issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism), with its registered address at Villa 15, Al Safa Second, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE, which operates the shalwa app and brand (“shalwa”, “we”, “us”, “our”). They govern your access to and use of the shalwa mobile application and related services (together, the “Service”).
By creating an account, or by using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
1. What shalwa is (and is not)
1.1 shalwa is a convenience service that helps you pay for parking in supported paid parking zones in the UAE. When properly set up and connected, shalwa attempts to detect when you have parked in a supported zone, start a paid parking session on your behalf, and end it when you leave, charging the applicable parking tariff from your prepaid Wallet.
1.2 shalwa is an intermediary, not a parking authority. Parking zones, tariffs, rules, operating hours and fines are set and enforced by the government authority or parking operator responsible for the relevant zone (“Parking Authority”), not by shalwa. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the Parking Authority’s systems, pricing or enforcement.
1.3 The Service is an aid, not a guarantee. Automatic detection depends on your device, internet connection, location and motion permissions, CarPlay connection, and third-party systems, all of which can fail or be unavailable. You remain solely responsible for ensuring that your parking is validly paid and compliant, and for checking, where in doubt, that a session is active.
1.4 Pay later parking. Some car parks — typically malls and gated car parks — let you drive out and bill the parking afterwards (“Pay later parking”). Where supported, shalwa can show you those charges (“Pay later charges”) and, if you turn the option on, pay them from your Wallet before the operator’s payment deadline. The operator of that car park is the Parking Authority for that charge.
2. Eligibility
You may use the Service only if you: (a) are at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to enter into a binding contract; (b) hold or are lawfully authorised to use the vehicle and licence plate(s) you register; and (c) use the Service in the UAE in compliance with applicable law. By using the Service you represent that you meet these requirements.
3. Your account
3.1 Registration. You create an account using your first name and mobile phone number, verified by a one-time passcode (OTP) sent via WhatsApp. You agree to provide accurate, current information and to keep it up to date.
3.2 Security. You are responsible for your device and for all activity under your account. Keep your phone and account secure and notify us at support@shalwa.io of any unauthorised use. We may rely on instructions received through your verified account.
3.3 One account per person, unless we agree otherwise in writing.
4. Vehicles and licence plates
4.1 You may register one or more licence plates (“Plates”) and select a default Plate, which shalwa uses when only one vehicle is parked.
4.2 You represent that you own, or are authorised by the owner to use and pay for parking for, every Plate you register. If you add another person’s Plate, you confirm you have their permission and that you are responsible for any sessions and charges run against it.
4.3 You are responsible for the accuracy of your Plate details. shalwa is not responsible for charges, missed payments or fines arising from incorrect, outdated or unauthorised Plate information.
5. Wallet, tariffs, fees and payment
5.1 Prepaid Wallet. The Service operates on a prepaid Wallet balance in UAE Dirhams (AED). You top up your Wallet, and shalwa charges parking sessions and applicable fees against that balance. A minimum balance of AED 25 may be required for the Service to remain active.
5.2 Top-ups. Top-ups are made using the payment methods currently supported by shalwa — Apple Pay, Google Pay, and debit and credit cards — and are processed through our third-party payment gateway, MyFatoorah. Not every method may be offered in the app at all times. Your payment is subject to the terms of those providers. shalwa does not store full payment card numbers.
5.3 Parking tariff. The parking tariff (e.g. an hourly rate) for each session is set by the Parking Authority, not shalwa, and is charged from your Wallet for the duration of the session.
5.4 shalwa platform fee. In addition to the parking tariff, shalwa charges a platform/service fee of 20% of the parking tariff for each parking session (“Platform Fee”). The Platform Fee is shown in your session breakdown and receipt, and is inclusive of UAE VAT (5%) where applicable. We may change the Platform Fee on notice in accordance with Section 16.
5.5 Authorisation. You authorise shalwa to deduct from your Wallet (and, where applicable, to charge your selected payment method to top up) the parking tariffs and Platform Fees for sessions run under your account, including via your registered Plates, and any Pay later charges, with their Platform Fees, that you have asked shalwa to pay.
5.6 Receipts. Session and top-up records are available in the app under Activity/Wallet.
5.7 Pay later charges. When shalwa pays a Pay later charge for you, it deducts from your Wallet the amount set by the car park operator plus a Platform Fee of 20% of that amount, inclusive of UAE VAT (5%) where applicable. Both are shown on your receipt. If your Wallet balance is not enough to cover a charge, shalwa will not pay it and will tell you; the charge remains yours to settle with the operator before its deadline.
6. Refunds
6.1 Wallet balance. Unused Wallet balance is refundable subject to verification on request to support@shalwa.io, less any amounts already committed to active or completed sessions and any non-refundable fees. We will refund an approved balance to the original payment method (or, where that is not possible, by another method we agree with you) within 30 days of verifying your request. Refunds may take longer where our payment gateway has not yet settled the underlying funds to us.
6.2 Completed parking charges are generally non-refundable once a session has run, except where required by law or where the charge resulted from a proven shalwa error.
6.3 Disputes. If you believe a charge is incorrect, contact us at support@shalwa.io within 14 days of the charge appearing in your Activity/Wallet. We will review in good faith and, where a refund is due, process it within 30 days of completing our review. This does not affect your statutory rights under UAE consumer protection law.
7. Parking fines and violations
7.1 shalwa surfaces fines for your information only. If the app displays parking fines associated with your Plate, it does so for your information only, so you don’t miss a deadline. This information may be incomplete or out of date, and you should not rely on it.
7.2 shalwa does not pay, contest or settle fines. Fines are issued by, and must be settled directly with, the Parking Authority. You are solely responsible for all fines, penalties, clamping, towing or other enforcement, including those arising because a session did not start or end correctly for any reason (see Sections 1.3 and 8).
7.3 Pay later charges are not fines. A Pay later charge that is paid before the operator’s deadline does not become a fine. If the deadline passes unpaid — for any reason, including an insufficient Wallet balance or a charge shalwa did not find or could not pay — Section 7.2 applies to whatever the operator or Parking Authority then issues.
8. Technical requirements and “shalwa is off” states
8.1 The Service requires, among other things: a compatible iPhone; an active internet connection; “Always” (background) location and motion & fitness permissions; the Apple Shortcuts CarPlay connect/disconnect automations to be set up; a funded Wallet; and a working CarPlay connection. shalwa runs sessions only while connected to CarPlay.
8.2 If any requirement is not met, the Service shows a “shalwa is off” state and will not run parking sessions. You are responsible for keeping these enabled and for paying for parking by other means whenever the Service is off or unavailable.
8.3 You are responsible for your own device, mobile data, battery and settings. shalwa is not liable for failures caused by your device, connectivity, permissions, CarPlay, or third-party software/OS changes.
8.4 Changes during an active session. If any requirement in 8.1 stops being met while a session is running — for example location access is changed from “Always”, permissions are withdrawn, the app is removed, or your device loses power — shalwa may be unable to detect that you have left. The session continues and you remain responsible for the full amount charged until it ends, whether you end it in the app or we close it. Where we are able to, we will notify you that this has happened; you remain responsible for ending the session.
9. Acceptable use
You agree not to: misuse the Service; register Plates you are not authorised to use; attempt to avoid fees or parking charges; interfere with, reverse-engineer, or disrupt the Service or its security; use the Service for any unlawful purpose; or use it in a manner that could harm shalwa, other users, or the Parking Authority. We may suspend or terminate accounts that breach these Terms.
10. Availability, changes and beta features
10.1 We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time. Some zones may not be supported, and coverage may change.
10.2 Features marked “coming soon” or similar (e.g. auto-topup) are not yet available and may change or not be released.
11. Intellectual property and licence
The Service, including the app, software, branding, and content, is owned by shalwa or its licensors. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the app for your personal, non-commercial use. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works except as permitted by law.
12. Disclaimers
12.1 The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose and uninterrupted or error-free operation, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
12.2 Without limitation, we do not warrant that sessions will always start or stop correctly, that detection will be accurate, that every Pay later charge will be found or paid before its deadline, that the Service will be available in any particular zone, or that you will avoid fines. Nothing in this Section limits any right you have under UAE Consumer Protection Law (Federal Law No. 15 of 2020) that cannot lawfully be excluded.
13. Limitation of liability
13.1 To the maximum extent permitted by law, shalwa is not liable for any parking fines, penalties, clamping, towing, vehicle loss or damage, indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses, or loss of profit, data or goodwill, arising from or related to the Service.
13.2 To the maximum extent permitted by law, shalwa’s total aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the total Platform Fees you paid to shalwa in the 6 months before the claim, and (b) AED 500. This cap does not apply to liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
13.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under UAE law.
14. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold shalwa harmless from claims, losses and expenses arising from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, your use of Plates you are not authorised to use, or your violation of any law or third-party rights. This indemnity does not apply to the extent the claim arises from our own breach, negligence or wilful misconduct.
15. Suspension and termination
15.1 You may stop using the Service, and delete your account and personal data, at any time from within the app (Settings → Delete account), or by contacting support@shalwa.io.
15.2 We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, if required by law, or to protect the Service or other users. On termination, Sections that by their nature should survive (e.g. payment, disclaimers, liability, governing law) continue to apply. We will handle any remaining Wallet balance per Section 6.
16. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms. We will notify you of material changes (e.g. in-app or by message) and update the “Last updated” date. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
17. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the federal laws of the United Arab Emirates as applied in the Emirate of Dubai. The Courts of Dubai have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer-protection rights or any agreed alternative dispute resolution.
18. App Store and Apple
If you download the app from the Apple App Store, the following also apply and, in the event of a conflict with the rest of these Terms as to the app, prevail:
18.1 These Terms are between you and shalwa only, not with Apple. Apple is not responsible for the app or its content.
18.2 Apple has no obligation to furnish maintenance or support for the app. Support is provided by shalwa at support@shalwa.io.
18.3 To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no warranty obligation for the app. If the app fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple may refund the purchase price (if any); to the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses attributable to a failure to conform to a warranty are shalwa’s responsibility.
18.4 shalwa, not Apple, is responsible for addressing any claims by you or a third party relating to the app or your use of it, including: (a) product-liability claims; (b) any claim that the app fails to meet a legal or regulatory requirement; and (c) claims arising under consumer-protection, privacy or similar legislation.
18.5 In the event of any third-party claim that the app or your possession and use of it infringes that party’s intellectual-property rights, shalwa, not Apple, is solely responsible for the investigation, defence, settlement and discharge of that claim.
18.6 You represent that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as “terrorist-supporting”, and that you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
18.7 Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and upon your acceptance Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms against you as a third-party beneficiary.
19. General
- Assignment. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them to an affiliate or successor.
- Severability. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
- Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service.
- No waiver. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.
- Language. These Terms are issued in English, which is the operative version. Where an Arabic translation is provided, it is for convenience only, save that where UAE law requires the Arabic version to prevail before a UAE court or authority, it shall prevail.
- Notices / contact. Abdulla Alhashmi Marketing Management (trading as shalwa), Villa 15, Al Safa Second, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE, support@shalwa.io.
shalwa — Abdulla Alhashmi Marketing Management. © 2026. All rights reserved. Read together with our Privacy Policy.