UAE emergency numbers and apps every driver needs

The number every driver in the UAE should know is 999 for the police. Ambulance is 998 and civil defence, which handles fires, is 997. These numbers are the same in every emirate and free from any phone. This page collects the numbers, apps and steps worth setting up before you drive a rental car.

UAE emergency numbers

The UAE does not rely on a single emergency number: police, ambulance, fire and coastguard each have their own short code. The list below follows the UAE government portal u.ae and the agencies themselves.

999, 998 and 997 work around the clock in Arabic and English. Start with the essentials: what happened, whether anyone is hurt, where you are and the car's plate number. The operator will guide you from there.

What to do after an accident

If anyone is hurt, or the drivers disagree about what happened, call 999 first. Otherwise a minor accident in Dubai can usually be reported online without waiting for a patrol.

• Stop and switch on the hazard lights. Never leave the scene, even if the damage looks trivial.
• Check on people. Any injury, pain, smell of fuel or smoke: call 999, and 998 or 997 as needed. Do not move the cars until the police arrive.
• If nobody is hurt and the cars block traffic, move them to the hard shoulder or a safe spot. Take a couple of wide photos of their positions first.
• Photograph everything. Damage on both cars close up and from a distance, both plates, the location with landmarks, lane markings and signs. With the other driver's agreement, photograph their licence and registration card and note their phone number.
• Get a police report. When there are no injuries and both drivers agree, a minor accident in Dubai can be reported in the Dubai Police app or in DubaiNow (which needs a UAE PASS login). If the app does not work for you, the drivers disagree, or the other driver has left, call 999.
• Contact us. The contact details for your rental are in your rental agreement. Tell us what happened and send the photos and the police report number.

You need a police report every time, even for a scratch in a car park. Without one, the insurer can refuse to pay and the repair cost falls on the renter. The report also records who was at fault, which decides how much of the damage you pay. Extended cover with zero excess can be added to a rental on request.

If the car breaks down without an accident

Get out of the lane if you can, switch on the hazards and leave the car on the side away from traffic. On a highway, wait behind the barrier. Then contact us using the details in your rental agreement. If the car is stuck in a live lane on a fast road and cannot be moved, call 999: it is a dangerous situation and the police can close the lane.

Apps every driver should install

For a trip around the UAE in a rental car, three or four apps cover almost everything: a navigation app, Dubai Police or DubaiNow, Parkin for parking and Makani for precise locations. The rest are for specific situations.

Install them before you set off, on hotel Wi-Fi. Some services ask for an SMS code or a UAE PASS login, and UAE PASS is harder for a visitor without a residence visa to obtain. For most tourists the practical route for a minor accident report is the Dubai Police app, and if it will not let you in, a call to 999.

Salik and Darb toll gates

Dubai's toll gates are called Salik and Abu Dhabi's are called Darb. There are no barriers: the charge is taken automatically as you drive under the gate, with nothing to stop for or pay on the spot.

Salik rates already include 5 % VAT. Darb in Abu Dhabi is a separate system: most gates charge on weekdays during peak hours and are free on Sundays and public holidays. Check current Darb rates in the official app before you go.

On a rental car the toll tag belongs to the car, not to the driver. Crossings are charged to the company's account and the renter pays them at actual cost, with no markup. Crossing data arrives a few days late, so the final total is sometimes known only after you have returned the car. For questions about the Salik system itself, its customer service is on 800 72545.

Paying for parking

Public parking in Dubai is paid almost everywhere during the day, and payment is linked to the car's plate, so there is no paper ticket to leave on the dashboard. The easiest ways to pay are the Parkin app, a parking meter, or an SMS from a local SIM, where the amount comes off your phone balance.

• Read the sign. It shows the zone, the paid hours and the maximum stay. Free hours, where they apply, are on the sign too.
• Enter the plate correctly. The plate number and emirate are on the plate and in the documents in the glovebox. One wrong digit means the parking is unpaid.
• Extend in time. The app reminds you before your time runs out if notifications are on.
• Malls and hotels set their own rules: some are free for the first hours, others charge at the exit or use valet parking.

Rates depend on the zone and the time and change from time to time, so check the current price in the app or on the meter.

Checking and paying fines

Traffic fines in the UAE are issued electronically against the car's plate, usually without a paper ticket. Most offences are recorded by cameras, so drivers often learn about a fine later.

On a rental car the fine goes to the company as the registered owner. The renter pays it at the actual amount, with no markup, usually at return or once the fine appears in the system. You can check fines by plate number in the Dubai Police app. If you spot one that falls within your rental period, let us know, and the settlement goes faster.

• Speed cameras cover all major highways; the limit is on the signs and in your navigation app.
• Using a handheld phone, not wearing a seat belt, driving on the hard shoulder and running a red light are all punished severely.
• Unpaid parking fines also go to the car's plate.

Phone settings that help on the road

For a driver in the UAE the phone is the navigator, the parking wallet and the way to call for help. Five minutes of setup before you drive saves a lot of stress later.

• Offline maps. Download Dubai and any emirate you plan to visit in Google Maps. Coverage drops in the desert and the mountains, but the route stays.
• Local SIM or eSIM. You need mobile data constantly for navigation, traffic and parking. A local SIM or an eSIM data plan is usually cheaper than roaming, and a local number lets you pay for parking by SMS and receive codes in some apps. Buying a SIM requires your passport.
• Mount and charger. Holding the phone while driving is not allowed. Use a mount and charge from the car's USB port.
• Summer overheating. From June to September daytime temperatures above 40 °C are common, and a phone in the sun behind the windscreen can shut down. Keep it off the dashboard and point the AC towards the mount.
• Emergency contact and medical ID. Fill them in on your phone so they can be read from the lock screen.
• Location access. Allow location for your navigation app and the ambulance app so help can find you faster.

Save these before you drive

Before your first trip, save everything you might need under stress into your contacts and notes. Searching for it at the scene of an accident is the worst moment.

• 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 civil defence, 996 coastguard.
• 901 Dubai Police non-emergency line.
• The company contacts for your rental, from your rental agreement.
• Photos of the rental agreement, your licence, passport and visa or entry stamp.
• The car's plate number and emirate.
• Photos of the car from every side at handover, including existing scratches.
• Your hotel's Makani number or a pin on the map.
• Dubai Police, Parkin and a navigation app installed, with offline maps downloaded.

If you are still booking, ask your questions through the request form on any car page or at info@rentalcars-dubai.ae. Our office in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00.