If you are looking to go away this summer and plan on renting a car, there are some things you should know before you travel.
Most countries require visitors to have an International Driving Permit if they want to drive outside of the country which their licence was issued.
While some car rental agencies may accept your local licence at their discretion, others may insist on an IDP and could refuse a rental without one.
Most countries require visitors to have an International Driving Permit if they want to drive outside of the country in which their licence was issued.
What is an International Driving Permit?
In short, it is a translation of your national driving licence and enables you to drive in foreign countries without the need for further tests or application forms.
It is important to note that an IDP is an addition to your national driving licence and not a replacement.
To be on the safe side, you must carry both licences when planning to rent a car abroad.
The permit, which is valid for one year, proves that you hold a valid driver’s licence in your country of residence.
It will also help protect you as a driver in the event of accidental vehicle damage or loss of legal identification, such as a passport, while abroad.
How to get an International Driving Permit in the UAE?
There are several ways in which you can obtain an IDP to carry alongside your UAE licence. It has to be applied for prior to travel. All IDPs are valid for one year, so regular renewal is necessary.
In the UAE you can obtain your IDP through:
- Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), which has offices in all seven emirates, or you can visit the website and have it delivered
- Ministry of Interior mobile application
- Emirates Post offices
- Dnata office, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
You will be required to fill in an application form online or in person and will have to submit:
- A copy of valid Emirates ID
- A copy of passport and residency status
- A copy of valid UAE driving licence
- Two passport photos
How much does it cost and how does the process take?
An IDP is Dh170 plus tax.
Online applications will be completed within three working days of receipt, so allow for five working days for all online applications to be delivered to your requested address.
Over-the-counter applications can be completed within half an hour.
What countries require an IDP?
The website of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE website lists 174 countries that require an IDP, including Spain, Oman, Germany, Britain and India.
Do I need an IDP to drive in the UAE?
The UAE signed two UN conventions that made it a legal requirement for visitors to have a valid IDP in order to rent a car and drive.
Each visitor who plans to drive in the Emirates must make sure they obtain an IDP in their home country or country of residence before they travel.
If you live in the UAE and have an Emirati licence, you do not need to obtain an IDP to drive here.
Drive from UAE to Qatar through Saudi Arabia - in pictures
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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