As per RTA, all rental cars in the UAE are provided with comprehensive insurance (a.k.a. basic insurance). This means that by default, you are covered incase of an accidental damage provided it isn’t your fault. A police report must be obtained at the time of an accident. Your rental amount includes basic coverage.

Most car rental companies provide CDW (collision damage waiver) for an additional charge. This covers you for any accidental damage by your own fault as well. However, a valid police report still is still required for coverage.

The car rental security deposit between AED 1000 – AED 10,000 is taken at the start of rental. It is released max 30 days after the car is returned. It may be returned to you by bank transfer, cash deposit into your bank account or cheque. Security block by credit card pre-authorization is better as it is automatically released by the bank on the same credit card within 30 days.

All rental cars come with standard mileage limit based on your rental period. However, some companies offer unlimited mileage as well. Custom mileage limit packages for an additional charge may be available.

To calculate your mileage, the car rental agreement mentions the km on the car’s odometer at the start of your rental.

If you exceed the allowed kms, additional charges apply. For this car, AED 1 / km is chargeable above the included mileage limit.

The legal age to rent a vehicle (car, van, pick-up truck, SUV or any other) in the UAE is 21 years old as per RTA regulations. However, this largely depends on the insurance policy issued to the car by the car rental company. The minimum age may be 23 years and even 25 years, in some cases.