Car Rentals
Most major car hire companies have a presence in Dubai. Offices are located at the Dubai International Airport and some of the major hotels. A credit card and driving licence are required. They’ll also need to take a copy of your passport.
| Agency | Locations |
|---|---|
| Avis | Airport |
| Budget | Airport, Emirates Towers |
| Europcar | Airport, Burj Al Arab, Crowne Plaza, Emirates Towers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, JW Marriott, Madinat Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah Mina A’ Salam |
| Hertz | Airport |
| Thrifty | Airport |
Driving in Dubai
When driving in Dubai please remember:
- Drink driving is a serious offence and will result in a prison sentence.
- Vehicles drive on the right-hand side of the road.
- Be very careful when driving. Per capita, Dubai has the highest number of road fatalities in the world.
- Use of mobile telephones is illegal when driving.
- A minimum speed limit of 60 km/h applies on major roads.
- Commencing July 2007 road tolls will be payable on Sheikh Zayed Road and the Garhoud Bridge.
- Use of seatbelts is compulsory.
Reader Comments / Additional Information
You cannot now rent a car in Dubai without a passport and driving license from the same country of issue. Therefore you cannot have an Australian passport & UK driving license!
The RTA have stopped issuing 6 month driving licenses so you MUST now have your full residence visa before you can apply for a USE driving license. Current as of 10/4/08
Traffic congestion on the Sheikh Zayed Road seems to have eased up since the the introduction of the road toll. I really don't mind paying the toll fee now.
If you kill somebody in an accident here and it's your fault you have to pay 'blood money' to their relatives as well as any criminal penalties you many face. If you can't pay it, you'll probably rot in prison forever.
Dubai is officially the most congested city in the Middle East, according to the latest survey by GulfTalent. The survey, which was conducted last month and released just before the launch of Dubai’s new road toll system (Salik), found that professionals working in Dubai spend on average 1 hour and 45 minutes each day in total commuting time to and from their place of work, the highest figure in the region. The journey times are particularly long for those commuting to Dubai from neighbouring Sharjah, home to many expatriates working in Dubai. Although just 15 km away and connected to Dubai via two express highways, Sharjah residents working in Dubai reported spending on average 2 hours and 44 minutes for the daily return journey to and from work, much of it in slow-moving bumper-to-bumper traffic. Many reported high levels of stress and fatigue as a result.
There are only 11 pedestrian bridges in the whole of Dubai; making it one of the least pedestrian-friendly cities in the world.
Because of the problems of traffic congestion, many Dubai workers are now actually choosing to live in Abu Dhabi! You save a lot of time travelling and apartment rents are a lot cheaper too!
The Dubai police are set to introduce a points system in a bid to reduce traffic violations and accidents. Drivers reaching 24 points will receive a 1-year driving ban. Some violations will receive an automatic ban (reckless driving, drunk driving, causing a death). Going through a red light will get 12 points and result in the driver's car being confiscated for a week (for a second offence it will be confiscated for a month).
You currently need to show a copy of your international driving licence when hiring a car. If you don't have one you need to apply for a temporary UAE driving licence. This policy was implemented by the government in January 2007.
A lot of the roads in Dubai have more lanes than many may be used to. For example it's just been announced that the Emirates Road is going to be extended to a 12-lane road!
There were 1.4 million traffic violations recorded by the police in 2006. Doesn't sound too many until you realise the population is only 1.4 million. Around 900,000 were for speeding and 25,000 for going through red lights.
I wouldn't hire a car and drive in Dubai. The drivers are completely crazy. If you cause an accident, relatives of the victim can claim blood money. Get a taxi. They're cheap and plentiful.
If you get caught drunk driving you will probably get a month in prison. They have a zero tolerance policy, i.e. no alcohol allowed in the blood whatsoever.
Children under 10 are not allowed to sit in the front seat of a car.
The Dubai Police have just announced a 576% increase in drink driving deaths for 2006. Deaths increase from 13 in 2005 to 75 in 2006.