Driving to UAE via Saudi
We are contemplating the drive from Doha to Abu Dhabi.
Tips welcome from those who have done it, especially if you've traveled with a child/ren.
A few questions off the top of my head:
Is it safe?
How is the border control and what paperwork do we need on us?
Do we need a valid Qatar Driver's license (husband has current U.S license and International driver's permit)?
Where do we go to get visas?
Thanks in advance.
how are you going to make it till saudi border with US driving license, which is not recognized by qatar? american citizens have to undergo a driving test to convert their US licenses into qatari ones. International DLs are not common in here either. Once you are stopped, you might get in trouble with your international DL, especially if your husband has already got his RP, meaning that at this point he must get his Qatari DL.
Hi, driving to UAE thru Saudi is no problem at all, we have done it twice with our 3 young children (the first time the youngest was only 1+). We have our Qatar driving license so I don't know if you can do it if you dont have that. (but if you are a Qatar resident it's very easy to obtain your Qatar driving permit).For Saudi visa go to one of the authorised agents, the one we use is in Gharafa area. Coming from the city centre you take the road with Landmark on your right hand side. You cross D-ring, next traffic light turn left (there is Qatar Airways travel agent on your left hand side), at the end of the road make a U-turn onto the slip road and drive back towards the traffic light you just came from. About 100m before the traffic light is the office of Al-Kanz trading. They can help you. It will cost you about QR150 per passport.When you go, make sure you go very early in the morning to avoid the queues at the Saudi border. Women need to wear a veil in Saudi. At the first booth, they take your fingerprints, check the trunk and give you your stamps. You need your car registration and Qatar insurance. At the second booth, you buy Saudi car insurance for about 100 riyal. Then with your little paper with stamps and your insurance, you pass the last checkpoint and you are in Saudi. The process can take as little as 20 minutes to half an hour if you reach there around 6am.Hit the pedals and in about 1 hour along a bad boring straight road (not illuminated!!) you'll reach the UAE border. This one takes a little longer. You have to park your car, take an iris scan, stand in line again. Pass the first booth. Then again, buy car insurance, this time of course for UAE. All this will take around 45 minutes. And off you go.Good luck!! It's great to travel in the UAE, or onto Dubai and Oman. With kids no problem at all (as llong as they have their nintendo/DVD's etc :-) . Just let the fast guys pass you, they may drive as fast as 170-180 km/hr.By the way, if you need a good car for your trip I can recommend you ours, we are selling it since we are leaving Doha .... (2008 Nissan Patrol Super Safari)
Do a search by using the searchtool on the top right as this topic has been discussed many times with all the info you need to organize the trip.