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It’s quite easy to drive in the Arab Emirates where the rules are not very different from those in Europe. It is not a good idea to violate traffic regulations because it can be quite costly. The average fine is 400-500 dirhams (~$109-136).
The UAE has roads of excellent quality and uses right-hand traffic. All signs are recognisable and are duplicated in English.
You can drive a rental car in the Emirates only if you have an International Driving Permit (IDP) together with your national driving licence. The penalty is AED 5,000 (~$1,360).
The national speed limits are 40 km/h in small streets, 60-80 km/h on main roads, 100-120 km/h on motorways. But, as a rule, speed limits are indicated by signs. It is prohibited to exceed the speed limit and to drive slower than the set limit, if there is one on that section of road.
Statistically, in 90% of cases, tourists are fined for speeding.
It is recommended to strictly observe the speed limit, even if you heard somewhere that it is allowed to exceed the speed limit a little. The speed limit tolerances vary from emirate to emirate. For example, Abu Dhabi uses zero tolerance speed limits and will fine you even for exceeding by 1 km/h.
Seat belts must be worn by all passengers.
A child safety seat is required for passengers under 4 years of age. Passengers under 10 years of age and less than 145 cm in height may not ride in the front seat. For your safety, we recommend transporting children under 12 years of age or under 150 cm tall in a child restraint system.
It is forbidden to smoke in a car if a child under 12 years of age is riding in it. Moreover, you should not leave children and animals unattended in the car.
It is prohibited to use a mobile phone, put on make-up, and smoke while driving. Driver must not eat or drink while operating a car.
The cars entering a roundabout must yield to the traffic already in the roundabout, unless otherwise indicated on the relevant road signs.
Headlights must always be on while driving at night or in fog.
Drivers must always yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is strictly prohibited.
The UAE has a dual system of punishment for driving offences:
Fines are issued for any driving offence, and black dots for more serious ones. Fines and black points are applied simultaneously and are not mutually exclusive.
The black point removal rules are different for UAE residents and for tourists. Tourists can pay for black points themselves by visiting the police department or by contacting their rental company. You can't pay the main fine without paying your black points.
Below are indicative fines for driving offences in Dubai.
| Offence | Amount | Black points |
| speeding up to 10 km/h | AED 400 (~$109) | - |
| up to 20 km/h | AED 300-500 (~$82-136) | - |
| up to 30 km/h | AED 600 (~$163) | - |
| up to 40 km/h | AED 700 (~$191) | - |
| up to 50 km/h | AED 800-1,000 (~$218-272) | - |
| up to 60 km/h | AED 900-1,500 (~$245-408) potential car confiscation | 6 |
| over 60 km/h | AED 1,000-2,000 (~$272-545) potential car confiscation | 12 |
| over 80 km/h | AED 3,000 (~$817) potential car confiscation and license suspension | 12 |
| driving slower than the set speed limit (if any) | AED 200-400 (~$54-109) | 4 |
| failure to wear a seat belt | AED 400 (~$109) | 4 |
| use of mobile phone | AED 400 (~$109) | 4 |
| Running a red light | AED 800-1,000 (~$218-272) | 8 |
| driving in poor visibility without headlights on | AED 200-400 (~$54-109) | 4 |
| failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalk | AED 500 (~$136) | 6 |
| improper transport of children | AED 400 (~$109) | 4 |
| throwing litter out of the window | AED 500-1,000 (~$136-272) | 4 |
| street racing | AED 2,000 (~$544) | 12 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, etc. | potential court-ordered arrest | 23 |
The fine amount depends not only on the seriousness of the offence, but also on the Emirate where it occurred.
The offences recorded by cameras, radars or police officers are entered into a public electronic database.
The fines are published on the traffic police website in 3-4 weeks after offences. This is why rental companies refund deposits after this period of time.
3. The website will display a statement of ALL unpaid fines for the car. Check your rental dates ONLY.
Law enforcement officers will not accept payment on the spot.
You can pay the fine at police stations or police service centres in large malls. The transport department accepts cash payments and is open from 7:30 to 14:30.
When paying on your own, make sure the date of offence is within your rental period. The database stores the list of all unpaid fines for the car.
You can only pay online via the MOI UAE app by a local bank card (you cannot pay by a foreign bank card). That’s why rental companies take this mission on themselves. The government charges rental companies an additional service fee for payment processing + VAT. Therefore, the final amount may increase by 10-15%.
There are toll roads in the UAE, and they are very easy to use. So easy that some tourists don’t even notice they’ve been driving a rental car on them all vacation. The tolling system works with automatic gates without boom barriers or toll collection points. The entrance to a toll road can be recognised only by special signs that read ‘Salik’, ‘DARB’ or ‘Toll Gate’.
There is no need to stop or reduce speed to pass the toll gate. Every time you drive through a toll gate, it instantly recognises your car and scans your sticker or licence plate number. The money is automatically deducted from the rental car general account.
It is the tenant’s responsibility to pay tolls on toll roads.
After the rental period, the rental company will provide the customer with a toll charge statement of the general account and deduct the appropriate amount from the deposit. Additional 10-15% of the total amount can be deducted as administrative expenses for toll payments.
If you want to avoid travelling on toll roads, set “Avoid toll roads” in your navigation app settings.
In Dubai, the toll gate system is called Salik. There are currently 8 gates in operation:
The toll for passing through one gate is 4 dirhams (~€1).
In Abu Dhabi, the of toll gate system is called DARB. The toll gates are located on the main bridges leading into the capital:
The toll for passing through one gate is 4 dirhams (~€1), with the maximum daily toll of 16 dirhams (~€4) per car.
Tolls are charged from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00. Except Sundays and public holidays.
In large cities, police officers are constantly patrolling the streets checking for proper parking and enforcing traffic regulations. They rarely patrol highways.
There are many video cameras located all over the country’s roads to record traffic violations. You should obey traffic regulations everywhere.
We do not recommend overtaking police cars.
If you are stopped by the traffic police, behave politely. Say hello. Present your national driving licence and IDP, your passport, car documents, and rental agreement.
It is strictly forbidden to bribe police officers.
Ignoring the officer’s demands can cost you AED 400-800 (~$109-218).
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