Traveling by car in the United Arab Emirates, and particularly in Dubai, is a good idea as it makes it easy to move around the city, where the distances are huge for hiking (especially if it's hot) and where the metro does not run. In addition, you can drive to neighboring Abu Dhabi in one day and visit the charming Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
There are many car rental companies, and all the major ones have offices, even at Dubai Airport. You can rent a car at any time and enjoy your vacation with a comfortable means of transportation. If you have already decided or are thinking about Rent sport car Dubai, this article will give you some information about routes, toll roads, and parking.
Driving License
To drive in Dubai, you will only need a national driving license (note that Abu Dhabi seems to require an international license). Although it is written on the official website of the United Arab Emirates that you need to get a temporary driver's license from a rental office (2 photos, a passport, and a driver's license are required). To rent a car, you can contact the company to see if your license is suitable for use.
Fuel
Since it could not be otherwise, in a country with so many oil wells, gasoline and diesel fuel are abundant and much cheaper than in Europe. If you rent a luxury car, it will already be refueled, so you don't have to worry about that.
Roads in the United Arab Emirates
The roads in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are very good, with a wide network of motorways or multi-lane roads (on the main highway in Dubai, we saw up to 8 lanes in each direction). Despite this, traffic is heavy, and there may be traffic jams during peak hours.
Although it seems a priori that there will be few roads in the United Arab Emirates and it will be easy to navigate, at first glance, this is not the case. Therefore, if you have a smartphone, it is highly recommended to have a GPS app without logging in to roaming.
Driving in Dubai
Driving is carried out on the right, seat belts are mandatory, and the alcohol level allowed is zero. Enermous fines and even several days of being senteced are provided for drunk driving.
The speed limit varies and on some sections of the highway, it may reach 140 km/h. It is preferrable to observe the restrictions since there are many fixed speed cameras both in Dubai and on nearby roads. In any case, take extreme precautions, as road accidents are the main cause of death in the United Arab Emirates. Also, if you break the law on a rented car, then you will have to pay a fine that will come to the rental company.
If you are unluckily involved in an accident, you must remain at the scene until the police arrives. To change a direction, even if the road has several lanes, this is usually done from the leftmost lane by turning 180° and joining the leftmost lane (the fast lane). Usually, there is a sign indicating that the maneuver is allowed. Otherwise, the rules of the road are ordinary, so they will not seem strange to you.
Parking in Dubai
On most streets in Dubai, you will have to pay for parking, at least at certain times. Payment can be made by sending an SMS to the phone number indicated on the parking meter, although if your phone card is foreign, due to the additional costs of your phone company, it will be more expensive than paying with coins in the corresponding parking lot in the classic style.
Large shopping malls such as Dubai Mall (if you wish to get to the Burj Khalifa), Mall of Emirates, or Marina Mall (in the same area of La Marina) have large free parking spaces and generally no time limit. Some shops, cafes, or restaurants are grouped in small shopping areas where there is free public parking for at least a few hours, enough to eat or drink coffee. Always try to look for these parking lots.
Even with a rented car, you can conveniently park for a while without unnecessary expenses. Usually there is a free parking in shopping malls, at least in the first hours, and in the following hours, prices are lower than on the street. Therefore, they are the best options for parking in Dubai.