If you are a new arrival to the UAE or a visitor enjoying a sunshine break, hiring a rental car is a great way to explore all that the country has to offer.
A temporary set of wheels is ideal for residents who need to get to A for B but are not ready to commit to a car purchase just yet.
If you are here on holiday, renting a vehicle allows you to set your own travel itinerary and make sure you don't miss out on a whole host of must-see attractions.
Tourists from some countries are allowed to use their driving licence issued at home to drive in the UAE.
This means you can either drive a friend's car or rent one after you complete some paperwork.
According to the Ministry of Interior, visitors from the GCC and certain countries do not need an international driving permit to drive in the Emirates.
Here, The National explains the process of renting a car in the Emirates.
Where can you rent a car?
There are plenty of options to choose from. You will find all international car rental companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, some with kiosks at the airport.
You can hire a car on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
The price will vary depending on the car you rent and the company you use.
One leading rental firm offers a Toyota Yaris 1.5L for Dh70 per day, Dh536 for a week or Dh1,575 for the month.
If you are in the market for a sturdy SUV, A Montero Sport 3.0 HL from the same company has a daily rental price of Dh189. This rises to Dh1,134 for the week and Dh31,50 for the month.
Or if you really want to experience the high life in Dubai, then you can hire a Ferrari — but be prepared to shell out a lot more money.
According to the car rental website luxurysupercarsdubai.com, a Ferrari SF90 Stradale will set you back Dh10,000 per day.
An Aston Martin Vantage, meanwhile, is available for Dh2,500 per day.
For those with sustainability in mind, many car hire firms now offer electric and hybrid options.
Companies also give the option of renting premium cars on an hourly basis.
Extra costs
Customers will have to pay 5 per cent VAT on the final bill.
Toll charges may differ, depending on which company you hire with. Avis charges Dh6 every time you cross a Salik gate in Dubai, whereas Hertz's tariff is Dh5.25 and some companies ask for Dh5.
There are currently 8 Salik gates operational in Dubai, so you may factor in the cost if you expect to cross the main highways often during your stay.
A vehicle registration fee of Dh5 per day, up to a maximum of Dh75 a month, will also be levied.
What paperwork do you need to complete?
UAE residents are required to present their Emirates ID and UAE driving license.
For tourists, they must bring along their passport, tourist visa and driving licence or international driving permit. Digital copies will not be accepted.
“Car rentals usually take full payment for renting out a car to tourists and block anything between Dh1,000 and Dh4,000 on their credit card as a guaranteed amount, in case they commit any traffic offence. The deposit is higher for premium cars,” Mr Naeem said.
“This amount is released after a few days of returning the car. This is to make sure they didn't get a fine which did not show in the system at the time of returning the car.
“I have been in this business since 1998 and many tourists have rented our cars. To be fair, they rarely cause any trouble or break the rules.”
What if there is an accident?
Hire cars are insured, so any accident will be dealt with in the same way as other accidents.
Motorists involved in the accident will face the same rules as other drivers, which may include a visit to a police station or the court in serious cases.
If it is a case of drink-driving, the insurance will not cover any damages. In such a case, the rental company will have the right to recover the money from the customer but if the motorist was driving a friend's car then he or she will be liable to pay for all damages and police fines.
“Drink-driving breaks the contractual agreement with the insurance company and also breaks the law. So, insurance companies do not cover damages that are a result of drink-driving,” said legal consultant Nida Al Masri, from Justitia Advocates and Legal Consultants in Dubai.
“Many misunderstand this point and think insurance companies may cover damages that are a result of an accident, regardless of the cause of the accident.”
Can I drive the same car to Oman?
Not all companies allow this. The ones that do permit this will charge a one-way car rental fee and some other extra charges. You will need comprehensive insurance and a NOC from the car company.
Can I use a city car for off-roading?
The simple answer is, no. You cannot use a sedan for desert driving. You will be held fully liable for any damage this may cause.
In which countries can Emirati tourists drive using their UAE licence?
The ministry said that Emiratis can also drive on their UAE licenses if they visit these countries:
These include Estonia, Albania, Portugal, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, the UK, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Finland and China.
SPECS
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
RESULTS
Mumbai Indians 181-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata Knight Riders 168-6 (20ovs)
Mumbai won by 13 runs
Rajasthan Royals 152-9 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 155-4 (18.4 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets
Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
GRAN%20TURISMO
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
