Hire A Private Driver In Dubai (Ultimate Guide 2024)
Are you planning to hire a private driver in Dubai? If so, this article will help you find the best personal driver in Dubai.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, and it’s also known as one of the most luxurious. With unlimited possibilities, Dubai’s business-friendly environment is perfect for entrepreneurs. It has a multicultural society made up of people from all over the world, which makes it even more interesting to explore.
Dubai’s economy relies heavily on trade and tourism. It’s also ranked as one of the best places to live in the world due to its quality of life index, which includes factors like affordability and diversity. This article will explore how Dubai has changed over time and what makes it so prosperous.
Dubai is so much more than just a city. It’s an experience. A world of wonder, culture, and traditional heritage that will entertain you for hours, days, or even weeks. It’s where you can enjoy the best cuisines from around the world or take a luxury vacation on one of the many luxurious hotels lining the shores of Palm Jumeirah.
Dubai also has shopping malls to rival any other city in the world, boasting stores like Burberry, Cartier, and Jimmy Choo. From its entertainment districts to its family-friendly attractions like LEGOLAND® Dubai and Ski Dubai – this captivating destination is perfect for everyone!
In this article, we will go through why you should hire a personal driver with a car or hire a chauffeur service in Dubai.
Hiring a driver in Dubai with a car will give you the flexibility of doing things at your own pace.
So, let’s get started and take a look below why hiring a driver is the best way to travel around Dubai and where to hire a private driver in Dubai.
1) Should you hire a private driver in Dubai?
If you need a driver to make your travels easy and enjoyable, then you should hire a private driver in Dubai. This is a good choice for tourists and business people, and also for drivers who want to make their trips even more comfortable.
You may have to spend a long time in the car hence it is good to plan ahead to make sure you hire a good driver who communicates well and who you can get along with.
If you are thinking about whether you should travel in public transportation, taxis, ride-sharing or hire a private driver in Dubai, it is worth thinking about the flexibility and comfort you want when you are on vacation or a business trip.
Especially if you are in a group, it may work out better if you hire a private driver for a day and explore a few places where is it difficult to go by public transportation.
The amount you would have to pay in a taxi, public transportation, ride-sharing would most likely be not much more than hiring a driver for a day.
For example, if you catch a taxi and public transportation to go to 4 places in Dubai, it may be a similar price as you would hire a driver for half a day.
2) Where can you go with a private driver?
When you hire a private driver, you can plan your day the way you want.
You can hire a driver for a day and you can create your itinerary. One day you can just go to different beaches, explore the city and its surrounding places and another day you can go on a road trip.
Most drivers will work with you when you book them for a day and they can also recommend some of the must-see places to visit in Dubai.
Below are some of the things you can do in Dubai and some places to visit.
Palm Jumeirah
If you’ve never been to Dubai, this is a must-see. The world’s biggest artificial island, the Palm Jumeirah is a palm-shaped landmass jutting into the Persian Gulf from Dubai. The Palm offers visitors hotel accommodations, theme parks, and shopping malls.
Located at the southern end of Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah is the island in Dubai that boasts the city’s highest hotel room count. Designed for short stay visitors, hotels, restaurants, and leisure activities, the island is a vacation spot for the rich and famous.
The Palm Jumeirah is one of the busiest and most visited destinations in Dubai. It is one of the world’s biggest artificial islands and contains hotels, theme parks, and shopping malls.
Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building. It’s been in the works for 13 years, and it was finally completed in 2009. This building takes up 829,000 square meters and weighs in at 1,750,000 tons. It’s touted as the “world’s tallest tower.”
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, towering 2,717 feet (828 meters) high. It’s designed to pay homage to the complex geometry of Islamic art and it has 160 stepped floors that narrow as it climbs syringe-like to the sky. This will be a highlight of your visit to downtown Dubai!
The Burj Khalifa includes 160 stepped floors. Its design pays homage to Islamic art, and it’s a highlight of Dubai’s downtown complex.
The Dubai Mall
In the city of Dubai, there are only a few shops that have remained unchanged from the past. One of these is the Dubai Mall. Built in 2004 and owned by Dubai Mall, the shopping mall has become a cultural landmark.
Within its 7-million-square-foot footprint, you’ll find brands like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co, as well as a Ferris wheel. It’s made up of three floors, and there’s even a candy shop and a luxury spa.
The Dubai Mall is popular for its different styles and layout. According to the Dubai Mall website, it’s possible to shop for a meal in different places in the mall like Spago, Tapas, Naif, Crown, & Pizzeria, Azzura, Shake Shack, Atul Kohli, House of Pancakes and Byron Burger.
Hatta Rock Pools
The Hatta Rock Pools are a stunning natural oasis located just across the United Arab Emirates’ eastern border in Oman. Escape Dubai’s urban crowds and come here to swim in the beautiful crystal clear water, enjoy picnics at the stunning scenery, and take advantage of the cooler mountain climates.
Visitors come here to escape Dubai’s urban crowds, swim in the turquoise waters, and enjoy picnics amid stunning scenery and cooler mountain climates.
Dubai Marina
Dubai’s business community has developed around the Dubai Marina. This area is considered to be the city’s downtown area. It is also the most popular in the UAE and contains the main tourist attractions for people visiting Dubai. This area is also the home of Burj Khalifa, the tallest man-made structure in the world.
This structure dominates the Dubai skyline and is often used to advertise the city. Dubai offers a stunning skyline, extensive shopping options, and plenty of cafes and restaurants to enjoy.
Burj Al-Arab Jumeirah
One of the most iconic landmarks in Dubai, the Burj Al Arab is known for its 270-meter stature, 107 storeys, and elevator-free rooms. It also features a luxury hotel and spa, a five-star-plus lobby, a five-star luxury restaurant, a nightclub and cigar lounge, a championship tennis court, five swimming pools, a water park, a bowling alley, a spa, and more. It also has its own nightclub.
The hotel was designed by British architect, Sir Norman Foster. Dubai Marina While most of the city’s hotels are situated in Jumeirah and Al Quoz, the Dubai Marina is also a popular tourist destination. The Dubai Marina is surrounded by a huge number of five-star hotels and has an enviable supply of excellent restaurants.
3) How to find a driver in Dubai?
One of the ways you can find a personal driver or a chauffeur in Dubai is by searching on Google like “personal driver in Dubai”, “private driver in Dubai” or “chauffeur in Dubai”.
You will find a few websites of businesses and you can check their review online before you approach them.
You can also search on the marketplace like TripAdvisor.com or Viator.com to check available deals.
However, the best thing is to ask your family or friends who may have visited Dubai or who lives in Dubai to recommend a driver they trust.
4) Should you connect with random drivers using WhatsApp?
If you are thinking to connect with a total stranger through platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook then you have to keep in mind that once you contact them, they will know your phone number and they may know some personal information.
Giving out your phone number to a stranger can be risky. Once you give out your number to someone, they can save your phone number on their phone. They will then be able to see your pictures, profile details, and other information through WhatsApp/social media and other technologies.
To avoid this situation, it is best to stay anonymous when you contact drivers. You can perhaps use your email address which isn’t your main email address so even if someone has your email address, you can simply add an email address to a block list if you don’t want to hear from someone.
5) Should you connect with random drivers on Facebook or Facebook Groups?
It depends on who is recommending drivers to you on Facebook. Is it someone you trust or is it your friend on Facebook?
You will find that once you ask for a recommendation on Facebook Group, you will be overwhelmed with responses from drivers you do not know.
You may get some recommendations from group members as well. If you know them and trust their advice, then you can look into the details.
If you don’t want to share your Facebook profiles with strangers, then you should not post on public pages. You will find that taking advice from strangers on Facebook who you do not know and trust, is not the best idea.
6) How about Forums like TripAdvisor to connect with drivers in Dubai?
You may have asked yourself, how about drivers in Dubai recommended in Forums?
It is confusing and can be a major problem. Who do you trust, and which businesses are getting true reviews?
You don’t want to book a business based on just reviews. You should contact the driver, send them anonymous private messages with all your questions.
Only give your contact details if you truly think the driver understands your requirements and you would like to work with them.
This way it will minimize the risk of giving your contact details to several people.
7) Should you book drivers from your hotel?
Booking through a hotel can be an option but it will work out to be quite expensive, costing you extra.
You may find that if a private driver costs you $400 when you research yourself however some hotels may quote you around $500 for the same service.
It is always recommended to plan your trip in advance. Like anything in life, if you book or buy something last minute you may end up paying a bit more. We recommend that you plan your trip in advance.
8) Where else can you book a private driver for Dubai?
When you arrive in Dubai, you can look for Uber drivers. You can simply approach them and ask them if you can book them for a whole day.
Most of the drivers may be alright with it and some may not be as they may not want to work all day or may not be available on the day you like to book them.
However, you will be able to see plenty of Uber drivers especially in the Dubai area so you can approach them and ask questions.
9) What you should look for a driver in Dubai?
We look for the below criteria in a driver when we register them on our website. We recommend you look below:
English speaking driver:
You should choose a driver who speaks English and who can communicate with you. It is important that they can be able to understand your requirements and understand how they work.
An overall understanding, communication, and knowledge about the itinerary planned out for the day.
Humble:
They should be humble and should always not be aggressive in any situation and patient. They should be flexible about pickup and drop-off times and work with you to plan the trip that meets all your requirements.
Local Experience:
Ideally, your driver should be a Dubai local and should have knowledge about the places you are visiting.
License and Insurance:
If they are driving a taxi or working for a ride-sharing company, they will have a license and insurance. However, you should ask them to show their license in case you can’t see it in the car.
All-inclusive package:
You should hire a driver in Dubai who has included everything in their tour package. They should include any tolls, petrol, parking fees, etc.
Some places will have entrance fees that will not be included, you will need to pay for a ticket, however entrance fees do not apply for most drivers.
10) Do you have to pay for waiting time?
Most of the drivers do not charge for waiting time. For the private tour, you should arrange a pick-up time and a meeting point with your driver in advance to avoid any confusion.
If there are any changes to your plan, you should inform the driver and reschedule the pickup time.
For airport transfer in Dubai (DXB) , most of the drivers we work with understand that there may be some situation that is not under your control.
They are considerate/flexible that things can change, and it is beyond your control if flight time changes. Hence, they will not charge you extra. If possible, do inform the driver if there have been any changes or delays.
NOTE: Do inform your driver beforehand how many passengers and the number of luggage you will carry. That way the driver will be able to bring the vehicle that will fit everyone and the luggage.
11) How much does it cost to hire a driver in Dubai?
Private driver cost in Dubai depends on the time you would like to hire a car and the type of car. A luxury car price will vary from a standard car. A 7-seater car will be more expensive than a 5-seater car.
Also, in Dubai full day will be more expensive than half-day trips however it will not be double the price. You will probably pay an extra 30% for the full day hence it’s worth paying for a full day rather than a half-day.
So, how much is a private driver in Dubai?
Full-Day: A full day which is 8-10 hours service will cost around USD $150 for a standard 5-seater car.
Half-Day: Half-day tours are around 4-6 hours, it will cost around USD $80 for a standard 5-seater car
Airport Transfer: Depending on where you need to go, Airport Transfers will typically start from USD $50.
12) What happens if you go overtime for booking?
In case there is a situation where your trip may go over time, talk to the driver. You can make arrangements with the driver and check with the driver if there will be an extra fee for the overtime.
Most of the time the driver will charge per hour and cash payments can be made to the driver at the end of the trip.
13) When is the best time and day to book?
It is advised to book in advance so that you can plan your trip properly and have enough time to communicate with the driver. The drivers will be able to provide enough information in regards to your requirements and to make all the arrangements happen.
We suggest not to leave it too late for example on the day or the night before your trip and to allow a day before booking so that we can make proper arrangements for you with the driver. It is important that you provide as many details and to have clear communication with your driver.
14) Do you have to pay an extra fee for Airport Transfers or Trips?
No, fees are not applicable to most places. There may be situations where you will have to pay extra depending on the distance you are travelling.
It is advised to have clear communication with the driver and provide as much information on where you need to go.
Make arrangements with the driver on prices and pick up/drop off time and location beforehand so that everything is clear.
15) Is there an extra fee for an early morning pick up?
No, there is no extra fee for early pickups.
If your plan changes, you should provide enough notice and time for the driver to make arrangements.
16) Should you tip your driver in Dubai?
Do you tip in Dubai? How much do you tip a driver in Dubai? These may be some of the questions you have thought about.
You do not need to tip in Dubai, which includes drivers and other places you may visit like restaurants, bars, hotels.
17) Should you consider driving in Dubai?
In every country you travel to, you will find that there is a slightly different way of driving. Dubai is no different.
You may be used to driving in your country and you may be a good driver.
However, you shouldn’t risk driving in Dubai if you are not comfortable driving especially if you are used to driving on the left side of the road.
18) Are tourists allowed to drive in Dubai?
Yes, tourists are allowed to drive in Dubai as long as they have a valid International license.
However, to experience the city the right way, you should hire a private driver so you don’t have to worry about the local rules and get into any situation that you may regret. A private driver will offer one-to-one chauffeuring services, while also being a great asset to keep your belongings safe.
They will be able to help you get to the airport, help you visit tourist spots, and do all kinds of other things for you. Dubai is a car-crazy city and a private driver will give you an opportunity to drive around at your own pace. This way, you can experience the local culture and view the cities from a different perspective.
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Conclusion
Dubai is an oasis of progress, yet still retains the old Arabic cultural identity. Also, Dubai is known for its numerous landmarks, most notably Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Traveling to Dubai should be on everyone’s bucket list, even if you don’t plan on working here.
Hiring a chauffeur is the best way to explore Dubai.
Have a safe trip and happy travels!
