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Traffic in Dubai and Driving in Dubai

At the end of October 2006, Sheikh Mohammad, the Ruler of Dubai, announced that he had instructed the Dubai Police to crack down on poor driving in Dubai, and the RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) to find solutions to the city's traffic problems. In particular, the police will focus on speeding (with mobile radars and unmarked cars), and driving through red traffic signals (with loss of driving license if the driver is involved in an accident). It remains to be seen how much of an effect this will have but an announced objective is to reduce the death rate on Dubai's roads from one of the highest in the world to the lowest. Some comments on this page may need to be revised depending on how these initiatives pan out - for example there are reports of vehicles being impounded for changing lanes without using indicators. Could this result in a 90% reduction in the number of vehicles on the roads in Dubai?

Latest updates on traffic regulations and other driving issues in Dubai

• 01 March 2008 - from this date minimum fine for drink-driving will be 20,000 dhs, possibly a year in jail. Same fine for number plate offences, leaving accident scene. Black points system to be implemented also. Minimum 5000 dhs fine and up to 3 months jail for driving without a license or vehicle in category not licensed for, borrowing or selling number plates. Fines for various other offences also increased. Pedestrians crossing roads with speed limits greater than 80 km/hr will be held responsible if they get hit or cause an accident.
• 19 Oct 2007 - Dubai petrol stations (EMARAT, ENOC, EPPCO) will no longer accept credit cards for payment. This appears to be a plan B to save money. Plan A was charging motorists an extra fee for using a credit card, and lasted about a month. Did we hear the word cartel? Petrol stations in other emirates (ADNOC) are still accepting credit cards.
• 27 Sep 2007 - new traffic laws are being drafted which will mean increased jail time and fines for drink-driving, hit and run but , oddly, reduced penalties for driving without a licence. And if you hit a pedestrian on a road with a speed limit greater than 80 kph, you may be able to defend yourself (at present the driver is automatically held responsible if a pedestrian is hit).
• 15 Sep 2007 - Dubai Police will start using radar guns to catch people travelling below the new minimum speed limit of 60 km/hr. So far the rule hasn't been enforced.
• 04 August 2007 - a minimum speed limit of 60 kph is being introduced on major highways in Dubai where the maximum speed limit is 100 kph or more. This probably won't mean that people stuck in traffic jams on the Sheikh Zayed Road will suddenly become unstuck.
• 01 July 2007 - Salik road toll starts on Sheikh Zayed Road.
• 17 June 2007 - Gulf News reports that vehicle owners who allow unlicensed drivers to drive their car, will be fined, and reported on a couple of recent court cases. Note that this could include tourists who drive private vehicles without a UAE licence.
• 07 May 2007 - The RTA intends to implement a minimum speed limit of 60 kph on major highways in Dubai, reports the Gulf News.
• 06 April 2007 - Khaleej Times reports the RTA said holders of licences from countries that were previously allowed to exchange them for a UAE driving licence must now do a minimum 21 driving classes and a driving test. Apparently this rule has been in place since 15 January 2007. See Dubai driving licence discussion for article and to comment.
• 24 Jan 2007 - press reports that traffic fines will increase 10x or more to 1000-3000 dhs from 100-200 dhs. Increases yet to be approved and implemented, dates not given.
• 22 Dec 2006 - Emirates Today reports that fines for dangerous driving expected to increase to 1000-3000 dhs.
• 19 Dec 2006 - Emirates Today reports the RTA intends to fine pavement parkers up to 500 dhs (no date given, currently fine is 150 dhs).

Emirates Today (a UAE newspaper) in early November 2006 started publishing photos of cars crashing through red lights, and other offences. This promotion is not meant to be a competition as far as we know. At the same time however, the weekly Gulf News "Accident of the Week" article seems to have stopped, instead they've followed in ET's footsteps with photos of traffic law infringements also.

Basic information about driving in Dubai

Cars are left-hand drive, and traffic is supposed to stay on the right hand side of the road (as in Europe, US and Canada; opposite of Britain, Asia, Australia, South Africa and NZ). Bicycles with cardboard boxes or newspapers stacked up on the rear, however, seem to prefer doing the opposite - that may be a result of cyclists wanting to "face the enemy". Boxless bicycles usually travel on the correct side of the road.

Driving hazards and dangers in Dubai

Camels are a novelty for many expats and are rarely seen inside city areas. Outside the cities, they're also dangerous as they have no road sense and whilst many roads are protected with camel fences, that doesn't guarantee the camels are on the correct side. If you hit one, you'll have two problems. The first is that due to their height, they're likely to topple and go through your windshield at whatever speed you were doing when you hit it. The second is that they are expensive - especially as you'll be sure to have hit the most prized racing camel in the owners herd. Keep these thoughts in mind as you tear down an unlit or poorly lit country road at night. Camels usually like to hobble towards cars (many camels ambling about have their feet tied together to limit how quickly they can move).

Other animals/objects that you are likely to encounter are donkeys (which seem to stay put when a car approaches but you should slow down anyway if you see one, rather than see it as an opportunity for slaloming around them) and goats (which presumably have more brains than camels or donkeys since they usually run away from approaching cars - admittedly at the last minute so you still have a good chance of hitting one). In the city, there are a few dogs and cats to avoid occasionally.

Small children run around chasing footballs across the road as they do in any country. There's not many of them on bicycles though. It's not uncommon to see adults trying to cross motorways/highways in Dubai. The authorities are trying to curb this with fences in the middle so it's becoming less of a hazard. Some Dubai pedestrians appear to have no idea that cars are unable to stop abruptly and will attempt to cross roads at the most inane times. Be alert, especially at night. Thankfully, the heat in Dubai means that pedestrian numbers are relatively low.

Speed Bumps (Speed Humps, Speed Breakers, Sleeping Policemen, Judder Bars)

If you don't know what these are, they're bumps in the road constructed deliberately so that traffic is forced to slow down. They vary in size and shape so that some you can cruise over at 50 kph whilst others will remove important mechanical parts of your expensive sports car which has only 6mm of ground clearance. Most are reasonably well signposted but some aren't, especially at night and especially outside the main roads of Dubai. And they do appear in occasionally odd places like the middle of a highway - more likely in other emirates.

Rules of the Road and which ones you really should follow

Dubai driving rules and laws are fairly standard and will be similar to most other countries. Adherence to the rules of the road is a different story. People arriving in Dubai from most western countries will get the sense that it's a bit of a chaotic free-for-all driving in Dubai. People arriving in Dubai from somewhere like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, or Iran will probably find Dubai a refreshlingly calm place to drive. People coming from an Asian city will discover that using gears other than first or reverse is actually possible in a city.

Dubai police usually deal with minor traffic offences and hand out fines up to 500 dhs (could be 3000 dhs after March 2008), however if a traffic offence involves injury and/or significant property damage then the case will be referred to the courts and a judge will decide the penalty. After some time in Dubai, driving around, it will become apparent which rules are important to adhere to. For example

• Driving through a red light will cost 500 dhs (possibly 1500 dhs) if flashed by traffic light camera, and probably a long conversation at the police station if seen by a policeman. If it's a second or greater offence, you may end up in jail and/or have your car impounded.
• Driving through a stop sign without stopping is normal behaviour (but most people do slow down and look).
• Ignoring speed limits is unlikely to get you pulled over by the police unless you are going significantly faster than the rest of the traffic. The number of radars being installed is increasing substantially so expect to collect a few speeding fines.
• Parking - where there are meters, you'll be likely to get a ticket if you don't use one (100-200 dhs per ticket vs 1-2 dhs per hour parking fee). Pay them when renewing car registration (the demand to pay within 7 days isn't enforced in our experience).
• Safety Belts - wasn't law until around 1996. Doesn't seem to be policed very heavily (but you're mad if you don't wear one).
• Child safety seats - whether or not it's law, most people don't bother - or maybe it's just more noticeable when they're not used because of the shock value. You'll see children lying on the parcel shelf, standing on or between seats, sitting on the driver's lap (while driving!), and hanging out windows.
• Drinking and driving - limit is zero, consequences of being caught are usually jail time and financial pain. Chances of being caught are very high if you have an accident.
• Mobile phones - law says use a hands-free kit while driving. Occasionally policed heavily (when law was introduced for example) but most of the time not. You'll sometimes see policemen using mobile phones without a handsfree kit.
• Indicators - are rarely used, lane changing is often done suddenly and at speed. If there is a penalty, it's probably only applied if an accident can be blamed on your manoeuvre.
• Driving on hard shoulder or to the left of the innermost lane on highways (when there's room). This used to be quite common many years ago (when extra lanes weren't needed anyway) but is now treated fairly seriously. Expect a big fine and possible car impounding if caught - police are much less likely to ignore this offence compared to speeding or using a mobile phone.
• Driving without a licence - that's a big deal if you get caught. Don't ever do it. Expect to at least get your car impounded if caught. Don't let someone else drive your car if they don't have a licence - you'll be in trouble as well as them. International Driving Permits and overseas driving licences are not valid for driving private cars in the UAE.
• Following at a safe distance - the rule seems to be "as long as you're not touching the car in front".
• Overtaking - if there is a rule saying don't overtake on the right (like the left in UK etc) then no one ever takes any notice. European (not UK) drivers especially will find this quite irritating.
• Pedestrian crossings - are mostly ignored unless they come with traffic lights. It's rare to see one anyway. If you're a pedestrian, consider catching a taxi to the other side of the road.
• Using your horn - quite common, especially by taxi drivers behind you when traffic lights turn green.
• Flashing headlights at someone - acceptable and common if the flasher has more wasta (see below) than the flashee. If the level of wasta is reversed, then the flasher may have problems.
• Making hand gestures or swearing - if seen or heard then you're potentially in a lot of trouble. Drivers have ended up in prison for "making an obscene hand gesture" so keep those one and two fingered salutes to yourself. There were several court cases in 2006, with one-month jail sentences for some offenders. In Dec 2006 an American pastor was acquitted of a charge of flashing his middle finger.

Wasta

There is some flexibility in applying road rules in Dubai. Many expats learn about "wasta" through a driving experience. "Wasta" means a combination of influence, power, and authority. In simple terms, the more wasta someone has, the less likely they are to cop a fine and/or be blamed if there's an accident. Nationality will make a difference to how much wasta you have, so can having the name and tel number of somebody with a lot of wasta. It can result in some unusual situations for example, green lights were actually red when you went through them because the person who crashed into you had enough wasta to change the color retroactively. You'll find it easier to enjoy Dubai if you get used to that rather than try to fight it.

Indications of higher levels of wasta are dark tinted or mirror tinted windows (30% maximum is the law so anything more than that means it's likely they have enough wasta to get around this rule), number plates with fewer than 5 digits (but anyone can buy them now so it's not as good an indication as in the past).

Speeding and Speeding Fines

Speeding will cost you 200 dhs (this might have gone up to 500 dhs by the time you read this) per flash from the camera - fines are payable all together when you renew your car registration annually. This can be unpleasant as one mother discovered a few years ago after having gone too fast past the same camera every day for several months when dropping her children off at school. The bill was apparently more than the value of the car. Most residents will collect a handful of speeding fines during the course of the year without always being aware of them.

There is usually a tolerance of 10-20 kph built into the speed cameras. Most cars have speedometers that are deliberately set to read a slightly higher speed than you're actually doing. This is done by the manufacturer, it's not anything to do with traffic law in Dubai. If you put larger tyres on your car, the reading will drop though (you'll be driving faster than what the speedo says - which probably explains the unexpected flash aimed at my car recently).

Speed limit signs are usually posted just after a speed camera. Generally limits are 40 kph on small suburban streets, 60 or 80 kph on main roads (but not highways), 70 kph on Jumeirah Beach Road (new since the improvements were completed in July 2006), 100 or 120 kph on highways. The 160 kph limit between Dubai and Abu Dhabi that was mentioned in the news in 2006 seems to be urban legend, very few drivers exceed 140 kph past the speed cameras (up to Feb 2007 at least). Al Khawaneej Road (from Dubai International Airport to Mirdiff) speed limit was reduced from 100 kph to 80 kph in Dec 2006.

• Note that cameras in Dubai take photos as you drive towards them, but in Abu Dhabi they take photos after you drive past.
• Note also that it's not very nice to undertake someone driving slowly in the left hand lane as you go past a speed radar. If you're over the speed limit, they'll possibly get the fine.

Updated speeding and speeding fine information (August 2006 - all points unconfirmed)

• More than 160 kph may result in a reckless driving charge.
• Up to 20 kph over the limit gets you a fine, more than 20 kph over the limit may get you a reckless driving charge as well as a fine.
• Some modern speed radars do not flash when taking a photo (unknown if any like this are in Dubai).
• Urban legend has it that above certain speeds, you're going too fast to be caught on film. Rumours were that this was 180 kph but tests done in the UK indicate speed needs to be well in excess of top speeds of almost all cars including high performance sports cars (a Bugatti Veyron, or the Batmobile might get away with it).

Fine checking and payment in Dubai

You do not get sent any notification of traffic infringements by mail. You either need to check online, or go to one of the fine checking and payment machines in some of the shopping malls (they look like ATMs). You could also try going to the Dubai police traffic department in person but you may as well wait until you renew your car registration and pay everything then.

For online traffic fine checking, visit the Dubai Police website (www.dubaipolice.gov.ae) and look for online services, or try their fines and payments page. You can check for traffic fines, and as of December 2007, pay on line with your credit card.

It has been known for people to receive fines from a different emirate when they weren't there, or fines when they were out of the country. Trying to get one of these cleared up is going to involve enough time and energy that you'll wish you hadn't bothered by the end of it - and more than likely you'll end up having to pay the fine anyway.

Sometimes fines don't show up for over a year - even several years. Again, it's far easier to smile, pay the fine and go and do something more interesting for the rest of the day.

Traffic in Dubai and Traffic Jams

Up until about 2000, it was possible to drive almost anywhere in Dubai "in about 15 minutes". That's not quite true but it was rare to encounter a major traffic jam anywhere. Since then, the pace of growth has outstripped the pace of developing the road network, although the RTA (Road Transport Authority) are trying to get new roads built faster than probably anywhere else in the world. As of mid-2006 the number of cars registered in Dubai is well over 600,000 - most of them seem to be parked on the Garhoud or Maktoum bridges. The resulting traffic jams have replaced the subject of mobile phones in cinemas as prime time dinner conversation amongst the drivers in Dubai. The worst places are the Sharjah-Dubai highway, the Sheikh Zayed Road - especially from Defense Roundabout to the Garhood Bridge and Maktoom Bridge, the Shindagha Tunnel, anywhere in Deira or Al Mankhool in Bur Dubai, and the Emirates Road and Al Wasl Road during rush hours. A short trip involving one of these roads can easily take more than an hour, and longer if there's been an accident (even minor accidents tend to create major jams).

Peak traffic conditions in Dubai are from about 0700-1000 and 1700-2100. The hours of 1230-1400 and 1500-1630 are also congested with all those lucky split shift employees taking advantage of their relaxing mid afternoon siesta time.

It is possible to commute from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Fujeirah, or Ras Al Khaimah (about 100-150 kms) quicker than it is to drive across Dubai if your work and residence locations are at opposite ends. While Dubai continues to grow at such a rapid pace, these traffic problems are not going to go away. The metro (or subway - although it's mostly above ground) public transport system is not due to start up until about 2009. If you're thinking about where to live, choose somewhere close to where you are likely to drive to the most - work/school/social activities.

Road Tolls in Dubai

In November 2006 it was announced that road tolls would be implemented from July 2007 on Sheikh Zayed Road (from the fourth interchange - Mall of the Emirates) and the Garhoud Bridge. There was a previous proposal to implement a toll on any vehicle entering Dubai from other emirates but it looks like that's been dumped in favor of the newer scheme. See the Salik road toll page for more information.

Road Rage in Dubai

It happens. Especially as the traffic builds, there are more traffic jams and then there are more frustrated drivers in Dubai. That, combined with the variety of nationalities bringing their own varied driving habits, and the relatively aggressive driving style that seems to rule in Dubai, means that potential for road rage is there. The most common version seems to be someone in the left-most lane of Sheikh Zayed road getting harrassed by someone behind them wanting to go faster with flashing headlights to indicate they should move over. Usually either the one in front moves or the one behind overtakes on the right and everyone is sort of content. Sometimes, depending on the temperature of one or both drivers, things can get a little more excited. If you're being harrassed persistently, try phoning the police - they have their Al Ameen service (800-4-888) and the report-a-dangerous-driver number (800 4 353). Or tel 999 if it's an emergency. A high-wasta driver will probably be able to overrule your complaint though.

Women (especially those with blond hair) might find they get more than their fair share of unwanted attention from some male drivers. Usually it's an irritation rather than anything like serious road rage. Ignoring them is probably the best and easiest thing to do. If you're feeling particularly threatened, you could try calling the Dubai Police Al Ameen service tel 800-4-888 (8004888), which is intended to help build a safer, more peaceful Dubai. Or something like that. Another number to try is the Dubai Police report-a-dangerous-driver number, tel 800-4-353 (8004353).

Most residents of Dubai will have a selection of pleasant and entertaining road rage stories to share with each other over a coffee or at a dinner party.

Parking and Car Parks in Dubai

• Car parks belonging to hotels, shopping centers, supermarkets etc are almost always free. And often full. There are occasionally some that require payment eg Carrefour Shindagha (but you get a refund from Carrefour) and the Al Khaleej Centre in Bur Dubai.
• Sandy areas that look deserted and convenient for parking your car in, can be expensive. There were reports in October 2007 that the Dubai Municipality had started fining cars parked in the sand.
• Road side parking, and off-street public car parks are usually 1 or 2 dhs per hour. Check the hours that paid parking applies. Usually they're free from 1300-1600, Fridays and public holidays. Some have extended paid times up until 2100 (9pm).
• Look for the orange solar powered ticket dispensers to obtain your parking ticket. If you go somewhere else, you can use it again if it hasn't expired. And you're not using a 1 dh/hour ticket in a 2 dh/hour zone.
• Parking fines cost 150 dhs and normally it's fine (no pun intended) to pay them when you go for your annual car registration.
• You can get Dubai Municipality issued parking cards to insert into the parking machines. They have a 30, 50 or 150 dhs value but cost less than that in grocery shops and service stations. The only time we bought and tried one, it didn't work. Keep some 1 dh coins in your car.
• Season parking permits are available for 3, 6 or 12 month periods in two versions. Option A (700-2500 dhs) allows you to park anywhere, option B (450-1500 dhs) is restricted to a number of designated areas. Obtain the cards from the Al Twar (Al Tawar) branch of Dubai Municipality in Al Ghusais - in the Al Twar Centre opposite the Ministry of Education near Al Mulla Plaza. You should only need your car registration and a copy but bring other random bits of paper just in case eg passport, driver's license, last weeks grocery bill.

Non-residents and tourists driving in Dubai

If you have an international driving licence from another country (not always necessary) and do not have a residence permit, then you can drive a rental car in Dubai (actually you can rent a car if you have a residence permit too but the point was that you don't need to get a temporary driving licence from Dubai Police to drive a rental car as a tourist). See the Dubai Car Rental page for more information.

Do not drive a private car until you verify that you can - you will need a temporary licence from the police. Bring IDP (International Driving Permit or License), home country licence and a couple of hundred dhs. Also check with the insurance company that the car is insured while you drive it.

When you get a residence permit, you must get a Dubai driving licence. You're no longer allowed to drive with a foreign license, IDP or temporary Dubai licence.

Accidents and emergencies when driving in Dubai

If you have an accident or emergency in Dubai and the UAE, tel 999 for police, 998/999 for ambulance, 997 for fire/civil defence.

Note that from a mobile phone you can also try dialing 112. It's supposed to connect you to local emergency services wherever you are in the world whether or not you have a SIM card/connection (may not work in all countries, and sometimes phones will need a SIM card - but even an expired one might work). Contrary to urban legend, it does not connect to satellite or magically connect to anything if there's no signal (eg in a tunnel).

There is an attempt to provide a common system worldwide for calling an emergency contact for someone in distress. If they are aware of this system, they will have programmed their mobile phone with ICE in front of the name of someone important to call if they're in trouble. For several contacts, they'll be listed as 1ICE, 2ICE, 3ICE or ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc (ICE meaning In Case of Emergency). Ignore the hoax emails warning you about getting a virus via ICE contacts - they're not true.

It's very easy to have a car accident in Dubai - as you'll see, but hopefully not from personal experience. The Dubai Police have been requesting that people involved in minor accidents should park their cars in such a way so as not to obstruct traffic, then swap details and go to the nearest police station. Whilst that sounds quite sensible in theory, in practice it doesn't seem to work. With the different nationalities and driving habits, and possible language and communication difficulties, it's all too easy to end up in a heated discussion either on site or at the police station with the final judgement from the police appearing to be quite random.

The following is not advice (since it is opposite to what the police say you should do) but an idea. Consider staying put, phone the police and wait for them to arrive. They will make a judgement then (which might appear to be random anyway) and may give you a fine of a couple of hundred dhs for not moving. This (apart from the fine) was the standard way of doing things until recently and so residents and police are used to that system. In fact, in the past, if you had moved your car, the police would request you put it back where it was when the accident happened (even to the extent of putting a car back in the ocean on a boat ramp or a long way out in the desert - both situations apparently true). Alternatively, you could just phone the police before moving cars and ask them what to do.

Whatever happens, if you have a camera, take some photos before moving the vehicles, but don't photograph Emirati women.

The police in Dubai generally speak some English (standard will vary). There are usually two in attendance. Most of the time things will get resolved amicably and the police will be quite helpful and friendly (you're bound to hear stories of exceptions though). You could be waiting for hours rather than minutes for them to arrive if it's a minor accident.

The normal procedure is that the police make a judgement regarding fault and write a report on the spot. A pink copy will be given to the person they consider at fault, and a green copy to the person not at fault (the colors are reversed in Sharjah, not surprisingly). You give this and your damaged car to the insurance company.

If you hit a stationary object, or something without a driver hits you, call the police and wait there. If you're tempted just to drive away, remember that getting a repair done is almost impossible without the accident report. Workshops run the risk of severe penalties if they repair a car without the police report - and the police do check.

The Gulf News (an English newspaper in Dubai) during 2006 was publishing a weekly photo and article to highlight the "accident of the week" (there were no prizes even though many residents wondered if it was a competition). A rather bizarre way to promote road safety.

If there are injuries, the police and medical personnel will sort it out. If someone dies and you're deemed to be responsible, you'll have to pay 200,000 dhs "diya" or "blood money" to the family of the victim. Your insurance company should pay this (unless you've been drinking or taken drugs or something else that negates your insurance).

If you see an accident, you could stop and offer to act as a witness. Depending on the wasta levels of you and the accident participants though, it's possible that you become one of the causes of the accident. If there are injured people and you decide to assist, be aware that if one of the victims dies and you were the last person to touch them, you will probably be held (in jail) responsible for their death. At least until it is clear that you did not cause the death, which may take days.

Car theft in Dubai, stealing cars in Dubai

• It's relatively rare for a car to be stolen in Dubai. Usually someone steals a car only when driver has left it unlocked with keys in ignition (sometimes with motor running - especially in summer to keep it cool while going in to shop, bank etc). Police figures were 115 cars stolen in this way in 2006, up to 150 cars in 2007, prompting them to issue a 300 dh fine to people who leave their cars running while unattended (about 2000 got hit by a fine in 2007, unknown if this includes the 150 who had their car stolen). Police claim to have a good recovery rate for stolen vehicles.
• Belongings are usually safe if locked in a car although you do occasionally hear of cars being broken in to - more than likely because computer or phone or money was visible. It seems as though this is on the increase during 2006 (or perhaps it's just being reported more) with, for example, a story in Aug/Sep 2006 of car windows being broken and items taken from gloveboxes while owners were attending a church service. Another report of a resident in Jumeirah finding his car blocked and the wheels taken in October 2006 was something new for Dubai.
• Petrol stations are a spot where thefts sometimes happen since many people leave their cars unlocked/running while filling up and/or going into petrol station shop.
• There doesn't appear to be any or much in the way of organised car theft of expensive cars for re-export/conversion/selling as spare parts (as happens in the UK/US/Europe). Thus another reason for making Dubai an attractive place in which to indulge yourself and buy that posh car you'd never own in your home country.
• Cars do sometimes get stolen when sold - the buyer gives the seller a personal cheque that bounces. A bank check should be safe.
• Stealing a car is far more likely to land you in jail followed by deportation than having a limb chopped off (despite common foreign perception of the punishment for theft in Dubai).

Motorcycles - Motorbikes

• Unpleasantly hot in summer (air temperature over 40 C and high humidity).
• Not so common so other road users aren't used to seeing motorcyclists - assume Dubai is a city full of Volvo drivers.
• Great for getting through traffic jams though.

Bicycles - Cyclists

• Banned in Sharjah (the Emirate-of-Excellent-Ideas) in April 2006. Exceptions are children, commuters, delivery men, and cyclists who stay off the roads.
• Ras Al Khaimah rules say that females are not allowed to cycle there - according to information received from one female resident.
• There is a cycle path along part of the updated Jumeirah Beach Road.
• The RTA did a study in May 2006 with plans to develop comprehensive cycling network.

This information last updated Sunday 14-Sep-2008

• See an error? Have suggestions or comments? Visit the Driving in Dubai discussion.

Related pages - Internal Links

• Dubai - FAQ home and index

• Al Aweer Used Car Market in Ras Al Khor - large complex of car dealers and services run by Dubai Municipality
• buying and selling cars in Dubai
• car rental in Dubai
• driving in Dubai - this page
• Dubai Autodrome - watch car races, or learn how to drive on a racetrack.
• Dubai Bypass Road - also known as the 611 road.
• getting a dubai driving license
• insurance for motor vehicles in Dubai
• maps of Dubai - guide to the best maps of Dubai, how up to date the maps are, where to get them, and a list of GPS/navigations systems for Dubai and the UAE.
• Salik - Dubai road toll system

Related websites - External Links (open in new window)

• www.dubaipolice.gov.ae - official Dubai Police website - English section
• www.rta.ae official website for RTA (Roads and Transport Authority Dubai) - Government body looking after roads in Dubai.
• www.gulfnews.com - Gulf News Traffic Watch section, a well organised collection of articles about traffic, driving, road safety, speed cameras, etc.
• www.alameen.ae - Al Ameen website, Dubai Police safer communities service, sms 4444, tel 800-4888, email alameen@eim.ae
• Contact us to put your link here

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