Car rental in United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is quite a small country, so it is not very difficult to maintain order on the roads. Numerous speed cameras and police patrols leave offenders with no chance.

Beware of camels. They often wander onto roads outside cities. A camel in the UAE is as sacred as a cow in India. The penalty for hitting a camel is severe: the fine is 5000 Euro.

A large number of speed cameras are located on almost all sections of road. The police very strictly enforce compliance with speed limits.

• The maximum speed allowed within built-up areas is from 40 to 80 km/h depending on the road signs.
• The speed must not exceed 120 km/h on motorways and expressways. Remember about camels.

If you exceed the speed limit, you will be fined. It is necessary to pay the fine in advance, no later than two days before leaving the country.

There are quite a lot of car parks in the country. However, almost all of them are paid. In large cities, for example in Dubai, it is possible to pay for parking by credit card. All parking spaces are automated. After paying for parking your car, you will receive a parking voucher. You must then place the voucher under your windscreen so that it is clearly visible.

In small towns, you will most often have to pay for parking in cash. Make sure you always have cash with you, as cash machines are not located near all car parks. The average cost of one hour of parking across the country is from 2 to 4 Euro.

The authorities of the Emirates believe that there must be order in everything. In this country, a driver must be absolutely sober. No blood alcohol level is allowed other than 0 permille. Violation of this requirement can cause extremely serious problems such as:

• Imposition of a fine
• Disqualification
• Imprisonment

Drink-driving by foreign drivers can result in deportation and a lifetime ban on visiting the United Arab Emirates again.

There are a few particular features of the road traffic regulations in the Emirates which every driver of a rented car must know and understand:

• Alcoholic beverages

It is surprising but true: a driver can incur liability not only for drink-driving, but also for carrying alcoholic beverages in the car.

• Right-of-way rule

Do not forget that the right-of-way rule is in force in the United Arab Emirates.

• Passing through road intersections

Roundabouts are arranged at many junctions in the Emirates. Drivers who are already on the roundabout have priority.

It is advisable to hire a car in UAE simply because fuel prices in the country are among the lowest in the world:

• One litre of 95 petrol costs 0.65 Euro
• The price for one litre of 98 petrol is 0.73 Euro
• The cost of one litre of diesel fuel is 0.67 Euro.

Almost all fuel stations operate automatically. Payment can be made by credit card only.

A large number of toll roads are located in the UAE. However, their cost is not very high: from 3 to 5 Euro. Payment for using such sections of road is made automatically by credit card. There are special machines at every toll point.

If you want to save money and avoid toll roads, there are alternative routes for every journey. The quality of the free roads is excellent. The only difference between the two types of roads lies in the speed limit.