Dubai is the tourist and business centre of the United Arab Emirates, which is visited annually by more than 16 million people. With statistics like these, an idle city is bound to have a well-developed public transport network. You can get to the desired place by metro, bus or tram, and for all three methods you need to buy a Nol card – an analogue of travel card with the ability to top up your account at vending machines. But if you want to be truly free and move around the emirate and beyond on your own, it is better to rent a car in Dubai, fortunately, there are all the conditions for this. All the features of this method of moving around the city, as well as how profitable it is to rent a car for a month, should be understood in detail.
Cons
Hidden costs may arise when renting a car:
- Fuel cost: approximately 3 dirhams per litre. The difference in fuel level when receiving and returning the car will affect the final cost.
- Toll: AED 5 on selected roads in the UAE.
- Tax: All rentals are subject to 5% tax in accordance with Dubai tax laws.
- Accidents: The cost of minor damage not covered by insurance will be deducted from your deposit.
Follow speed limits and traffic rules to avoid fines.
Pros
The United Arab Emirates is one of the 20 countries with the cheapest fuel. The average price of 1 liter of gasoline at gas stations in the UAE is $0.58. This is a third cheaper than in Russia and 2 times cheaper than in Europe. Even if you rent a power-hungry sports car, the cost of maintaining it will be quite low.
When exploring a city as part of a tour group, you agree to certain rules. For example, the excursion time may be limited, or on the way to the place you may be “accidentally” taken to a shopping complex imposed by the travel agency. At the same time, the gathering of tourists at the hotel takes a huge amount of time. By renting a car in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, you will have the opportunity to choose where to go and what to see.
The UAE is an alcohol-free country, so drivers on the roads behave carefully and appropriately. There is almost no crime here, the road rules are intuitive, and the condition of the roads corresponds to the high status of a tourist metropolis. In terms of the level of development of transport infrastructure, the Emirates ranks first in the world!
How to choose a rental company?
Almost all major car rental companies operate in Dubai – Avis, Budget, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar and others; they are united by the Rentalcars aggregator. Well, the Localrent service cooperates with local rental companies, of which there are also many. Paddock Rent a Car, Premium Auto, VIP-auto Rent, Respect Auto, Di Macra Rental Car and many others – as a rule, the offices of local rental companies are located in the city, which is convenient in many cases. They also do not require advance reservations.
An important advantage of aggregators for the client is the best protection from troubles in case of emergency situations: he does not have to deal with the rental office one on one, the aggregator will also take part in the proceedings, who knows all the nuances perfectly. The contracts from aggregators spell out all the significant points; they have a wider selection of cars, and information about their technical condition is more accurate.
What do you need before making a decision?
Renting a car from local rental companies is a very real option. You can discuss the nuances, pay in cash, even bargain: get a price reduction or upgrade the class of the car. There are also disadvantages: there will probably be a limited number of cars available (and perhaps not in the best condition), and there is a risk of meeting less than honest rental companies. Therefore, you should carefully read the contract, clarify all doubtful points, record the slightest damage to the car in photos and videos before renting, and not be fooled by verbal promises to solve everything when you return the car.
What car to rent?
When you think about Dubai, you want to rent something cooler: at least a Mercedes or Porsche, or even a Lamborghini. If funds allow, there will be no problems with this: the roads in the Emirates are excellent, and there will be no problems with parking either. Well, for economical trips exclusively within cities and between them, even a Nissan Micra is suitable. In general, you can take any car, depending on your tastes and finances. One could add “necessarily with air conditioning”, but the Emirates simply don’t keep other cars. If you want to take a drive to the mountainous Ras al-Khaimah, you should take a closer look at an SUV (not forgetting about the daily mileage limit).
What documents do you need?
An international driver’s license is a mandatory document, without which serious offices will not issue a car. It must be accompanied by a national license. You will also need a foreign passport and an electronic (or better yet, printed) rental voucher if you booked a car online. An international credit card is optional: check to see if your specific rental company requires it.
The driver must be at least 21 years old and have at least 1 year of experience. There are often cases when drivers under 25 years of age and over 65 years of age are charged additional fees; this point needs to be clarified with the support service. Some rental companies and aggregators have a higher minimum age. For example, for Localrent it is 25 years.
