DRIVER'S LICENSE
Be sure to get an International Driving License in your home country before you fly into UAE, so that you can legally drive a rental car, which you can only rent until the end of your 30-day Visitor's Visa or 90-day business travel visa.

You will not be able to buy any vehicle until you have a Residency Visa, then get the UAE driving license. If you are from a western country, you will not have to take any test except a vision test. Apart from taking a number to wait in line, whole process takes ~30 minutes, including getting application typed in Arabic.

Vehicle Registration is now available at Tasjeel centres offering 1-step Testing for AED50 and Registration for ~AED 350, plus insurance for 13 months. You will need to bring along a photocopy of your passport page, residence visa from the passport, letter of no objection from your sponsor, and a pass-port size photo.

FINANCING A VEHICLE
Most Asian and European vehicle brands are available, plus some U.S. vehicle models. Prices are posted on the car, including their fixed percent profit. Each dealership is a monopoly: only they have the franchise for their brands of cars.

Getting financing in this "post-global-economic-crisis" arena is based upon being able to prove you are steadily employed. Absent a letter from your employer that states you will still be employed by them at the end of the car financing period, what they really want to see is a bank statement showing 3 months UAE salary.

At minimum, car financing banks want a standard form letter from your employer which states your monthly salary, and they also prefer that you have this whole salary directly deposited with them.

If you are over 60, or will turn 60 during their period of car finance, they become more cautious. This is because, even though professionals can work until age 70, after 60 your residency visa is subject to annual renewal, rather than 3 years.

Recently, UAE Central Bank's policy unfortunately has directed all of the banks in this age discrimination, which is in stark contrast with their UAE's Ministry of Labour policy on eleven professions that are desired here, and can work past 65 for five more years. (See Page 35 of the MOL Procedures Manual).

DRIVING IN THE UAE
New roads are built to high standard. Freeways are typically maximum 120Km/h, but stay out of the fast lane: you might get run over by some wealthy local with disregard for speeding laws, which are quite loosely enforced. Do NOT drive after drinking: take time to have a meal first, as the legal blood alcohol level is zero.

Within the cities, the major roads that divide Districts typically have a median. On long stretches there may be narrowing of the median to allow a U-turn, otherwise intersections are typically multi-lane roundabouts. You need good peripheral vision as many drivers do not use turn signals!!