Dubai has introduced legislation allowing hourly car rental for customer. A new resolution was issued to this effect by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. This is Resolution No 49 of 2016 which aims to provide alternative low-cost public transportation solutions, particularly in light on upcoming Expo2020.

Why does Dubai need hourly car rentals?

Dubai attracts over 20 million annual visitors. A number of visitors come for a very brief period and don’t require a rental car for the full day. So currently even if a customer requires a car for less than 5 hours, he will need to pay for a full day car rental. Aside from the cost factor, the bigger issue for Dubai is traffic. The new hourly car rental system will enable customers to be on the roads for less time than normal, enabling (at least in theory) lesser traffic.

How will hourly car rental work in Dubai?

The hourly car rental system will allow drivers to rent cars from metro and tram stations and drop them off at a metro or tram station closest to their destination. The hourly system will allow a driver to rent a car for a minimum of one hour and maximum of six hours. The geographic area of driving will be within Dubai. This is because the new law is only for Dubai and not UAE overall. In terms of pricing, the idea is to rent cars for short trips at lower fares than a regular taxi. How this will translate in practice is yet to be implemented.

Can I rent cars on hourly basis now?

At the moment hourly car rentals have not been implemented yet. Now that the law is passed, we can expect implementation to happen soon. RTA will require car rental companies to obtain special permits to allow hourly car rentals. In addition, RTA will set up the system at metro stations to allow drivers payment and booking facilities for renting cars by the hour.