For citizens of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, renting a car in Dubai is probably the simplest case of all: the licence is accepted with no extra documents, and the main questions are less about paperwork and more about where to drive next and which car to pick.

GCC driving licences

A national driving licence from any Gulf Cooperation Council country (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman) is accepted directly in the UAE, with no International Driving Permit and no extra authorisation. This is a separate category in the general licence requirements, see our guide to UAE driving licence rules for the rest of the list. All you need is the licence itself and a passport when you collect the car.

Driving into neighbouring Gulf countries

If you are planning to cross the border into Saudi Arabia, Oman or another GCC country in a rented car rather than stay inside the UAE, let us know in advance when booking. Leaving the UAE usually requires a separate permission from the rental company and matching insurance paperwork, arranged ahead of time rather than at the moment you collect the car. We have a dedicated guide covering exactly what is needed for a trip to Oman in a rental car; the logic for other Gulf countries is similar, but conditions should be confirmed individually, since border requirements can change.

If your trip stays inside the UAE, you can move freely between emirates with no extra permissions, whether that is a short visit to Abu Dhabi or a longer drive inland.

What clients from the Gulf usually rent

Clients from Gulf countries lean noticeably more towards full-size SUVs and premium sedans than the average renter. The practical picks are the Nissan Patrol Platinum 2024 (400 hp, 8 seats) from AED 550 a day, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 VXR 2024 (409 hp, 7 seats) from AED 600 a day, and the Range Rover Vogue 2024 (400 hp) from AED 1,300 a day. In the premium segment, with no restriction by brand: BMW from 320i sedans up to the X7 and M5, Audi from the A3 to the Q8 and RS6, Porsche from the Macan to the 911 Turbo S, all three brands are widely represented in the fleet, and there is no extra age requirement for the luxury tier: 21 minimum age, 1 year of driving experience, same as any other car.

For a direct comparison in the same class: BMW X5 2024 (381 hp, 5 seats) from AED 650 a day against the Audi Q7 2024 (340 hp, 7 seats) from AED 600 a day, with the Q7's extra third row often being the deciding factor for families with children.

Payment

We accept cash, card and bank transfer, full prepayment at booking, and no deposit on any car, SUVs and premium models included. Cards issued by Gulf banks generally work without issue for payments in the UAE.

Routes inside the UAE

From Dubai, the usual day trips are to Abu Dhabi (about 140 km), Al Ain with its oasis and the Jebel Hafeet mountain road (about 130 km), or Hatta in the mountains near the Oman border (about 130 km). All three routes are paved and do not require four-wheel drive, though an SUV is naturally more comfortable over a longer distance with the family.

What to bring

  • National driving licence from a GCC country.
  • Passport or ID card, depending on the requirement at the time you collect the car.
  • A payment method: card, cash dirhams, or a bank transfer confirmation.
  • If a border crossing is planned, permission to take the car out of the UAE, arranged in advance.

The luxury segment with no extra formalities

We often get asked whether luxury and performance cars need some special status or an extra deposit. They do not: the terms are the same for every car in the fleet, from the Toyota Yaris to the Rolls-Royce Phantom, from the Ferrari Purosangue to the Bentley Bentayga. Minimum age 21, 1 year of driving experience, no deposit. Among supercars, the most popular pick is the Lamborghini Urus (650 hp, 5 seats) from AED 1,800 a day, a compromise between SUV practicality and supercar status, followed by the Rolls-Royce Cullinan (571 hp, 5 seats) from AED 3,500 a day. For comparison in the same bracket, the Bentley Bentayga (550 hp, 5 seats) is also from AED 1,800 a day, priced level with the Urus but with a different character.

Insurance and what is included

The price already includes insurance (third party plus partial own-damage cover), 250 km of mileage a day, a full tank at handover and a free first tank on rentals of 5 days or more. Extended zero-excess cover is available separately, ask for the current rate when booking, especially for long desert or mountain road trips. Delivery and collection anywhere in Dubai are free on rentals of 7 days or more; for shorter rentals, delivery and collection together cost AED 210 regardless of location in Dubai.

Office and support

Our office is in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, and support works in English and Russian daily from 10:00 to 19:00, not around the clock. Minimum rental is one day, which is convenient if the car is only needed for a specific business meeting or a single visit to another emirate, without booking for the whole trip.

Heading into the desert

A regular crossover is not the right car for a proper dune route, even with nominal four-wheel drive; you need a real off-roader such as the Patrol or Land Cruiser, prepared for the terrain and driven with experience. We cover this separately in our guide to desert driving with a rental car: which cars are suited to it, what safety precautions to take, and why you should not leave the marked track alone without a guide. Regular paved routes, including the road to Jebel Hafeet and the drive to Hatta, need none of that preparation.