For an Australian, the main difference in Dubai is not the paperwork, it is the road itself. At home you sit on the right and drive on the left. In the UAE the wheel is on the left and traffic keeps to the right. The documents are as simple as they get. We start with those, then cover how to get through the first half hour behind the wheel.
Licence and documents
Australia is on the list of countries whose national licences are accepted in the UAE without an International Driving Permit (IDP). The list is approved by the Ministry of Interior and is the same in every emirate. The licence has to be issued in Australia and be in Latin script. We hand over the car on that one document, and a police officer at a roadside stop will not ask for more.
- Passport with a valid UAE visa or entry stamp.
- Australian driving licence, the original, valid for the whole rental.
- Age and experience: 21 or older with at least a year of driving. We charge no young-driver fee. A few supercars have stricter terms, shown on the car page.
- A second driver: their licence and passport are needed at handover so they can be added to the contract.
The rule is for visitors. If you move to the UAE and get a residence visa, you cannot drive on a foreign licence and need a local one. Holders of licences from recognised countries normally exchange them at an RTA centre without a test.
The first half hour: changing sides
This is worth thinking about before you land. Some habits your brain will offer on autopilot:
- Which side of the road. Keep to the right when leaving car parks and junctions. Mistakes happen most at empty intersections and when pulling out of a petrol station, where there are no other cars to follow. Say it out loud: "right side".
- Roundabouts. At home they run clockwise and you give way to the right. In the UAE they run anti-clockwise and you give way to traffic from the left. Take the first few slower than feels necessary.
- Stalks. Depending on the car, the indicator and wiper stalks may be on the opposite side from what you are used to. Switching on the wipers instead of the indicator on day one is normal.
- Judging the car's width. You now sit by the left edge, so your sense of where the right side of the car ends is off. Leave extra room when passing motorbikes and parking parallel.
- Lanes. The left lane is for overtaking. A habit of staying left will put you in the way of faster traffic.
The best first drive is a wide, well-marked highway rather than the narrow streets of older districts.
Utes and SUVs for Australians
Australians are used to utes and large four-wheel drives, and the fleet has a good choice. Prices are as of October 2026, and the current price is on each car page.
| Car | Day, AED | Week, AED | Month, AED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Navara 2024, all-wheel drive | 220 | 1,320 | 4,400 |
| Toyota Hilux 2025, 2.7 L | 230 | 1,380 | 4,600 |
| Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2024, 7 seats | 240 | 1,440 | 4,800 |
| Ford Ranger 2024 | 250 | 1,500 | 5,000 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2024, 7 seats | 280 | 1,680 | 5,600 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 70 2024 | 300 | 1,800 | 6,000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2024, 7 seats | 400 | 2,400 | 8,000 |
A ute is great for the desert and dirt tracks, but you do not need one for the city or the highways: Abu Dhabi (about 140 km, an hour and a half), Hatta (about 130 km) and Al Ain with the Jebel Hafeet road (about 130 km) are all on tarmac and doable in any car.
If Dubai is a stopover
Many Australians break the journey in Dubai for a few days on the way to or from Europe. Short rental suits that: the minimum period on most cars is 1 or 2 days. On rentals of 7 days or more, delivery and return anywhere in Dubai are free, and for shorter ones they cost AED 210 together. 250 km per day is included, enough for the city and one longer trip.
Payment and running costs
We accept cash, bank cards and e-wallets. Australian Visa and Mastercard cards usually work, but tell your bank about the trip. When you pay by card, the rental amount may be held as a pre-authorisation and charged at the end. Most cars need no deposit. If one does, it is on the car page, and some cars come from a partner company with its own terms and a minimum rental of 3 or 7 days. Insurance is included.
Salik toll gates have no barriers: AED 6.30 at peak times Monday to Saturday (6:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00), AED 4.20 otherwise, a flat AED 4.20 on Sundays and free from 1:00 to 6:00. Salik and fines are paid by the renter at actual cost with no markup. Sheikh Zayed Road is posted at 100 or 120 km/h, cameras in Dubai typically record from about 21 km/h over the limit, and Abu Dhabi has no margin. Our office is in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, open daily 10:00 to 19:00.
