MAG, a business conglomerate in the UAE, has launched an automated parking facility in Dubai.

The nine-storey steel structure is located at the Emirates Financial Tower (EFT) in the DIFC and has been crowned the largest automated parking facility in the world by the Guinness World Records.

Built with an investment of $22m, the smart garage can park 1,191 vehicles, has automated parking, which can be monitored by just one person, and is completely computerised.

MAG chairman Moafaq Al Gaddah has said that the smart parking facility would address the present car parking issues and it will help the city cope with the growing number of vehicles on the road.

"This is an achievement for Dubai, which has proven itself to be an incubator of innovation in businesses on the regional and global scale," Al Gaddah said.

"The smart garage can park 1,191 vehicles, has automated parking, which can be monitored by just one person, and is completely computerised."

The technology for the intelligent garage was designed by MAG Robotic System, a sister concern of MAG, and constructed in the US.

Drivers must exit their vehicle after parking it at a transition bay. The system will then identify the available space and manoeuvre and park it safely.

Upon the driver’s return, the system will bring the vehicle back to the transition bay, where they can pick up the vehicle.

The system also has the capability to automatically shuffle the vehicle towards the exit a few minutes ahead of the driver’s regular departure time. It can even wash the vehicle for the owner.

MAG plans to introduce a similar smart parking facility in Abu Dhabi.