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Car rental in Dubai

Rent a car in Dubai from local companies, at Dubai International Airport, at an office or delivered to your hotel, with many cars needing no deposit.

Cheap car hire in Dubai

From city cars to SUVs and convertibles

Dubai’s list leans upmarket: premium cars and SUVs far outnumber economy models. Each tile is a typical day price for a week’s hire.

The rental conditions are the same across the UAE, so a Dubai car follows the national rules on roads, borders and documents.

Where do you pick up a rental car in Dubai?

At Dubai International Airport, at a rental office, at Al Jaddaf or at your own address. Where to meet, and whom to call, is on the voucher.

Dubai International Airport

Some airport cars add a handover charge and others have none; it is inside the price either way. Al Maktoum Airport can also be chosen in the search.

Delivery to your address

Enter a hotel or apartment address when booking. Delivered cars in Dubai carry no delivery charge.

Offices and Al Jaddaf

Many cars are handed over at a company office, and a few at a car park in Al Jaddaf. The exact meeting place comes with the voucher.

Downtown is about 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport, and Dubai Marina about 35, before traffic. Delivery saves that first drive if you land tired.

Give a mobile number with its country code when booking and keep it on from the day before pickup to the final return.

Driving straight off after landing? Compare car hire at Dubai Airport, where some cars carry no handover charge at all.

Do you need a deposit to rent a car in Dubai?

Many Dubai cars have no deposit, and none asks for a credit card. The rules are set per car, so read yours.

No depositOn many cars
No credit card requiredCheck each offer
Cash depositWith some companies
30 daysBefore a deposit returns

A deposit comes back 30 days after the car is returned. Salik tolls or fines that reach the company during that time are taken from it, with an administration cost.

How the deposit is paid varies by car, so browse the cars in the UAE that need no credit card and read each one’s deposit line.

If nothing held is the priority, filter for cars with no deposit.

How far is Abu Dhabi from Dubai by car?

Abu Dhabi’s Corniche is about one hour forty-five minutes from Dubai International Airport on the E11, before traffic. All six drives start at the airport.

High-rise towers of Sharjah along the Al Majaz waterfront, with a small sandy shore and trees, under a clear sky
Dubai Airport→Sharjah
15 min · 10.8 km
Aerial view of Ajman's beach and seafront hotels and towers beside calm water in late afternoon light
Dubai Airport→Ajman
30 min · 23.3 km
Aerial view of a road winding up the bare rocky slopes of Jebel Jais
Dubai Airport→Ras Al Khaimah
1 h 15 min · 91.6 km
The mud-brick walls of Fujairah Fort with the UAE flag and mountains behind, in warm daylight
Dubai Airport→Fujairah
1 h 30 min · 111.3 km
The twin round towers and gateway of Al Jahili Fort with the UAE flag, under a clear blue sky
Dubai Airport→Al Ain
1 h 45 min · 136.2 km
Aerial view of the Abu Dhabi Corniche with its beach, turquoise water and city towers, under a blue sky with streaks of cloud
Dubai Airport→Abu Dhabi
1 h 45 min · 157.1 km

Closer to Dubai Airport: Downtown Dubai, about 20 min; Dubai Marina, about 35 min; Palm Jumeirah, about 40 min.

A return trip to Abu Dhabi runs to over 300 km, so check the car’s daily kilometre limit before you go.

Staying further north? Car rental in Ras Al Khaimah saves the drive.

Salik tolls and paid parking

Dubai’s Salik gates charge each time you pass. Street parking is paid by zone and time.

  • Each Salik pass costs AED 4 or AED 6 depending on the time, and nothing from 1:00 to 6:00; 5% VAT has been added to every toll since 1 June 2026.
  • Parking can be paid by SMS, WhatsApp or the RTA Dubai and Parkin apps; prices vary by zone and how long you stay.

On a rental car, tolls are charged to the company and recovered from you, so you do not pay at the gate. Fuel, parking and fines are yours too.

Road rules to know in the emirates

Belts and children

Everyone in the car wears a seat belt. Children under 10 or shorter than 145 cm cannot sit in front, and under-fours need a child seat.

No alcohol at all

No level of alcohol is tolerated behind the wheel, however small, and drinking before driving will probably void the cover too.

Phones and lights

Using a phone at the wheel is an offence. Headlights go on at night and in fog, and each road shows its own speed limit.

After an accident

UK travel advice says to stop, call the police on 999 and not leave before they arrive. Tell the company at once. Ambulance 998, fire 997.

Returning the car in another emirate

Dubai cars can be returned in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah. Name the other emirate as your return place and the extra charge appears in the total.

  • Some Abu Dhabi one-ways can end at Zayed International Airport, handy for a flight home.

Every one-way on these routes adds a charge, so compare it with returning to Dubai. Any change of return place needs the company’s agreement.

How Dubai car rental prices change through the year

Bars show what a day typically costs on a week’s rental from the middle of each month, pickup anywhere in the city.

Dubai hires of one week, each starting on the 15th, November 2026 through October 2027. N/A marks a month with no price yet.

From April onwards fewer cars carry prices, so the later bars rest on a smaller choice. Look at your own dates before you decide.

Rentals are charged in 24-hour days, so a late return of a few hours adds a full day.

Big cars, child seats and kilometre limits

Room for everyone

The range runs from two-seaters to cars with up to 11 seats. Weigh the boot as well as the headcount before committing.

Child seats

Child seats and boosters are listed as extras; the offer shows which the car has. Check it fits at the handover.

Kilometre limits

Many Dubai cars carry a daily kilometre limit. Each offer shows the limit and the price of every extra kilometre.

Extra driver

A second driver is an extra, priced on the offer where the car has it. They need an IDP and must meet the car’s age rules too.

Car hire insurance in Dubai

Each car lists its own cover levels, and the deposit can change with the level. Compare both before choosing.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Levels vary by car. A Dubai offer may carry anything from third-party Minimum to the top Plus tier, and lists only the ones it has.

Outside standard cover. Wheels, undercarriage, windscreen and interior are not covered by standard insurance.

When cover is lost. Deliberate damage or neglect voids the insurance.

Report it properly. An insured event in Dubai needs an immediate call to the company plus a police report, unless the company waives it; skip either and the cover falls away.

Higher levels change damage cover and excess car by car, so compare them on the offer itself.

Can you drive in Dubai with a UK or US licence?

Renters show a home licence plus an International Driving Permit, neither expiring before the return. Copies and app licences are turned down.

IDP for every renter

The rental conditions ask every driver for an IDP, whichever country issued the licence, so get one before you travel.

Age and experience

Dubai offers set their own minimum age and licence history, even between look-alike models. Fall below the bar and the handover can be refused.

A UK photocard licence can be used to drive in the UAE, but the rental still asks for the IDP alongside it. With a US licence, bring the IDP too.

Fuel, cleaning and late returns

Fuel level

  • Top up so the gauge matches the handover. Missing fuel is billed at the company’s rate; a fuller tank is not paid back.

Clean enough to check

  • A car too dirty to inspect, from sand or mud, is washed at your cost.

Staying on? Arrange the extension with the company while the booking is still running.

Can you take a rental car from Dubai to Oman?

No. The car cannot cross any border, there is no cross-border option, and one-way rentals into Oman are not offered.

Desert driving is ruled out too: only paved public roads are allowed. For a trip to Oman, hire a separate car there with car hire in Oman.

Cancelling a Dubai booking

A booking cannot be edited. To change it, cancel and book again inside the deadline.

Deadlines

A week’s notice covers ordinary cars and 30 days covers luxury cars and convertibles; with the short-notice extra, a day is enough. Cancel after that, or simply not show up, and the advance is gone.

Refunds

Send the cancellation to customer support along with the voucher. Expect the money back inside two weeks, less 6% of the advance, which covers the payment fee.

Dubai car rental questions

Is it worth renting a car in Dubai?

It pays off most for trips beyond the city, such as Abu Dhabi, Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah. Allow for Salik tolls, parking and the car’s kilometre limit.

Can I collect the car late at night?

Some can, though a late-night handover or return may cost extra. Put your real arrival time in the search and that cost is built into the total.

What if the company cannot supply my car?

If a breakdown or another event beyond its control is the cause, it has to offer another car from the same class or above, keeping your price and conditions.

Can I cancel the same day I book?

Inside the first day after the booking is confirmed and paid, either you or the company can withdraw, provided pickup has not taken place. The advance is repaid without the payment fee.

Can I bring a pet?

A small one, if it stays in its carrier whenever it is in the car.

More about renting a car in the UAE

Book car hire in Dubai

Pick the airport, an office or delivery to your hotel, then check the deposit, kilometre limit and cover before you pay.

Find cars in Dubai