Dubai - Expats with GCC licences to take fresh driving test

[ddd]

Expats with GCC licences to take fresh driving test
By Asma Ali Zain
6 April 2007
DUBAI — Expatriate driving licence holders of 36 countries, including the GCC states, will now have to pass a test to acquire a UAE driving licence, a senior official of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has said.
Earlier, driving licence holders of these countries could exchange their foreign licences for a UAE licence.
Speaking to Khaleej Times yesterday, Shihab Hamad Bu Shihab, Manager of Driving Licences at the RTA, said the step had been taken to unify the driving styles of these drivers with those in the UAE to make the country's roads safer for motorists.
Bu Shihab said the new rule was implemented on January 15 this year. The official did not explain why passport holders of these countries, including Oman and Kuwait, would still be allowed to convert their licences to the UAE's, after paying Dh100. "Licence holders from these 36 countries will have to attend a minimum of 21 classes before qualifying for a driving test conducted by the RTA," the official noted. The 36 countries include Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the US.

[Panama Jack]

Ka-ching Ka-ching. Oh, sorry, is that the sound of the big Dubai cash register again?

[GuppyEng.com]

I think you can drive on an international license for a month or perhaps 2?
Just enough time to book some driving lessons to get a uae license!
Lesson 1 This is the horn. You will use this more than your'e mobile phone while you are driving!
Lesson 2 This thing works the indicators? dont worry you will never use it!
Etc....

[neilb767]

Lesson 4: First one to the finish line wins......"step on it yani"...:}

[ddd]

"....step had been taken to unify the driving styles of these drivers with those in the UAE "
So now EVERYBODY will drive like a%^&%$ !!!

[Wiley]

When I first saw this top post, I found myself looking to the date, thinking it would read April 1st. Then I read Panama Jack’s reply and became a believer. Then I started searching for my copy of ‘The Caravan’ to add my contribution to the suggested study required for obtaining a UAE licence: (Translator’s Note: Phorwealdryves were the swift and sprightly steeds on which the young warriors of Knoteetinghamm jousted daily, often to the death, upon the dunes around their scattered tents. It was usually a timid, almost passive creature. However, the moment a young Knoteetinghammi warrior cast his thighs across its saddle, it became like unto a raging bull, unable to bear the sight of any other phorewealdryve unless that animal be far behind it. To see other phorwealdryves in line upon the desert sands would send it into a slavering, eyeball-rolling frenzy and plunge headlong past them, its two bright eyes flashing, until it found itself at the head of the queue… or smitten against the flank of another phorwealdryve, itself almost certainly racing to the head of yet another oncoming queue.

Where the phorwealdryves were hastening to, no one knew, for they seemed to go nowhere but in endless circles seeking out more queues of phorwealdryves to jump. In the market square, Gull Fnewz, the Cherif’s trusted herald, expounded almost daily upon varying theories passed to him by visitors from many lands who witnessed this strange and fearsome trait. Although still unproven to this day, it is believed by many learned scholars that the phorwealdryves and their young riders were in search of their final resting place, the fabled Doubleparkoutsidetheshwamashoppe.)And don’t forget the requirement to hold a ‘conch shell’ to your right ear at all times when driving.

[fractional]

I think you can drive on an international license for a month or perhaps 2?
This only applies if you are driving a hired car...

[Flying Spag Monster]

That should cancel a few flights as we all get rostered to attend driving school x 21

[Gillegan]

Wow, now imagine being sent out to Silicon Oasis, doing your first 3 months in training and having to look forward to (and find time for 20 sessions of driving lessons) just to be able to get around. Not EK's fault but sure not a great introduction to life in the sandpit either.

A few months ago, 7Days did a story where a driving instructor from the UK came down and took some driving lessons at the various schools around Dubai. I couldn't find the link but suffice to say, it was pretty horrific. Tuition included how to jump the queue, speed up for a yellow light and cross 4 lanes without indicating (extra points for that). That must be the problem, the rest of us just haven't learned how to adapt our "style" to the local "style" of driving.

[coffindodger]

when is this supposed to start i saw this on the dubai 1 news the other night.
also if you have a uae license will that come into force when that expires
mine still has 6 years left on it mind you being in saudi at the mo, the standard is a 100 per cent worse here in the other sand pit.

[Ray Darr]

It looks for many as if the smellier of the two buckets just headed further lower - yet again - and is now clearly passed the one with cash in it...

What a bunch of complete and total lunacy. Miss the place? NOT!!

[MR8]

The weird discriminating thing is: you will only need to do this if you are a resident. The moment that pink residence visa goes into your passport, you can not drive around anymore with an international driving licence, even in a rental car. Visitors however, who do not have the experience of driving on UAE roads, who don't even know where hey're going, can easily rent a car and it's fine for them to drive around in it... Weird.

Does anyone know if you can get a Sharjah or Abu Dhabi driving licence? Is this a UAE rule, or just a Dubai rule? Just looking for a loophole to help out future friends who might come and join us.. (in our misery...).

MR8

[fractional]

QUOTE
Does anyone know if you can get a Sharjah or Abu Dhabi driving licence?
UNQUOTE
If you live in a specific Emirate that's where you'll have to get your driver's license. I'm sure they'll extent that rule to other Emirates if they didn't do it yet. It's an experience you'll remember forever. This is 2nd hand but factual information. Good luck to all!

[Tail Rota]

ooooooohhhh mmmmmyyyyy superior being:E

this is the most outrageous piece of law making I have witnessed in my time in the UAE. ....I dont see India , Pakistan, Saudi, Sri lanka,or egypt on the list......most of the countries I see above are the only ones that can drive. :ugh:

Why not get the insurance companies to publish a list of all accidents that have occured in the UAE in the past 5 years with a break down of what nationalities caused what accident and lets see who should be driving and who shouldnt......sorry boys but if this is true....it is rediculous:yuk:

the only way to fix the driving problem in Dubai is more patrols and an even playing field for all law breakers:*

TR:ok:

[longreach69]

Very well said TR :D ,but as they say in Knoteeingham <WHAT TO DO> :confused: .It would be nice if somebody could find a nice loophole,keep us posted ;) .

[Jason2000]

TR -
Actually, I think most other countries were already on *the list* - these 36 countries are new additions. So basically, everyone has to do the lessons when moving to the UAE now - then everyone will be at the same idiotically cr@p, rude, arrogant, brainless and stupid levels that the authorities expect here.
Gillegan -
A friend of mine had to do the 21 lessons. They can vouch for how the 7days UK driving instructor said. My friend was taught how to *not* let people cut in in front of you, how to drive 1 metre behind the car ahead whilst driving down SZR at 100kph and how to horn at every little event, in addition to those things noted by this UK instructor.
I'm guessing that stop and stare at every single road incident/crash, especially if it looks particularly serious is another thing the *quality* driving schools in the UAE also teach.

[mustangV8]

hey tail,

ppl from those countries you mentioned are A.L.R.E.A.D.Y on the list. How long have you lived here?? Where is your situational awareness??:ooh: :ooh:

Do you have a problem with pilots converting their JAA or FAA licences to the GCAA equivalents, hmm? So... since they already fly the big shiny, new jets in europe, hell, they should just be allowed to fly here with no questions asked:D ...how dare they question the superior race about their abilities and credentials!!!!!!:eek:

I think the KKK are still recruiting, but you don't have to be a skinhead anymore...

PEACE

mV8

[dxbpilot]

yeah mustangV8, you are completely right ! the standard of driver training in india/pakistan is exactly the same as europe. how dare these people even begin to think that different cultures have different driving standards. shocking, completely shocking.

[Tail Rota]

Hey Mustang:E

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/116783/crazy_driving_in_india/

Looks like any intersection I see, at anytime, anywhere in Dubai:ugh:

Compare this chaos to European roads fella:cool: The driving is definitly better.

TR:ok:

[bentwings]

Hey Mustang
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/116783...ving_in_india/
same, same Vietnam :} Now you know why all the motorcycles have their rear vision mirrors turned inwards! :eek:

[mustangV8]

yeah, chaotic no doubt...but it works for them, did u see anyone getting hurt or killed???!!!

you guys should try driving there and test your 'euro standard' driving skills.

try that kinda driving in dubai or euro, you'll have inverted land cruisers and ford escorts/mini's, respectively, all over the $#%@! place.

...anyway it WORKS for them, does not WORK for you, but this is not the point of this thread. Everyone is considered incompetent now, when they apply with a foreign drivers lic. not just the brownies...:D We are finally equals:eek: :eek:

...cool it guys

PEACE

mV8

[Austin Holed]

"We are finally equals"
Yeah, riiiiiiiggghhhhhttttt. :D

[NG_Kaptain]

When the liquor licence expires do we need to do a skills test to renew? :)

[max AB]

You will be able to renew both licenses at the same time...Consume a carton of beer then drive your car to the local standard...should be pretty easy I suggest.

[gatvol2006]

What if you have already done the full hog? 10 years ago if I might add! Got in the car with old grey and red tie uniform with 6 injans and the only one to pass was EK!!!!! YEEEEAAA:D The uniform:} Then comes the motorbike licence, figure of eight on a 100cc whatever with legs wrapped around the ears!!! Made it dunno how! Then the race was on .... directions in Arabic ... 50 injans with blue smoke set off ... me thinking oh dear better get a move on as police car behind me. I lose the leading pack and have to ask the police car which way. Eventually the police led the way and BOASTFULLY I was the only one to pass YEEEAAA:D (PS I was not in the grey and red uniform for the bike test ... just a suit!!!)

So....

Do I need to do another test???:ugh:

[NG_Kaptain]

Dont forget to make sure to not fasten your seatbelts and have your toddler stand on the front seat, or better yet on your lap if you are driving...

[jai6638]

The 36 countries mentioned aren't the only ones, they've just been ADDED to the list of all the uncivilised places where people drive like imbeciles.
Thats because people in those "civilised" places also drive like imbeciles! Drivers in the US need to learn that the left lane is for passing and not to block the traffic by going at the speed limit! Dont even get me started on New York City driving.. Drivers in Toronto, Canada need to learn to stop tailgating and flashing lights like the Arabs on Sheikh Zayed Road!

[mustangV8]

jai...
dont forget drinking and driving...eh?... dont mean to bash canadians, i love all of 'em.

BUT what these civilized ppl need to remember is how they loooove to drink AND drive back home...most control themselves here, as it is the middle east and all. I mean, why drive when you are pink/red/blue/purple in the face, cant piss straight but want to drive that shiny mini cooper home???!!!:=

C'mon guys, we all know u invented the nuclear bomb, warships, slavery and other wonderful things but drunk driving...shame on you:E


PEACE
mV8

[Alpha 6]

Very true jai and mv8...

I wonder why is it easy to convert a license from countries using right hand drive vehicles when in fact we use left hand ones over here? And why is it people from these countries would complain about the new conversion procedures? Some can transition easily driving from left to right...but what about those stubborn ones?:sad: you can't teach old dogs new tricks right?!?

Not unless if you're driving a mclaren F1 or a ducati then that would'nt be a problem...

Let's heal the world and make it a better place
A6

[Scottishjockey]

:) HANDBOOK FOR DRIVING IN DUBAI:)

1. If your road map is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and get a new one.

2. If you are in Rashidiya and your map is one day old, then it is already obsolete.

3. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Dubai has its own version of traffic rules, which can be summarized as "Hold
on and pray!"

4. If it is your priority to cross, forget it and wait.

5. There is no such thing as a dangerous high-speed chase in Dubai . Everyone drives like that.

6. When you plan to get a new car, ask first about its acceleration from 80 to 160 Km/h (recommended: 3 seconds). Very

important if you frequently use the Emirates Road

7. All directions start with Sheikh Zayed Road , which has no beginning and no end.

8. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM, The evening rush hour is from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

9. Thursday's rush hour starts Wednesday morning.

10. If you slow down at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended and then given a ticket by the Dubai Police.

11. If you are the first one at the intersection, when the light turns green ignore the car honking behind you and count to five to
avoid crashing into one of the cars running the red light in cross-traffic.

12. Construction on all main roads is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. (Sorry for the inconvenience)

13. All unfamiliar sights are explained by the phrase, "Oh, we must be in Sharjah!"

14. Car horns are actually toys for big boys.

15. Anyone in a Land Cruiser, Tuned Patrol, or Mercedes with tinted windows has the right of way. Period!

16. If you are driving a Corolla, Sunny, or another small Japanese car, stay on the far right lane. No comment!

17. Most roads mysteriously change names as you cross intersections.

18. To ask directions, you must have good knowledge of Hindi/ Malayalam

19. A trip across town will take a minimum of four hours, although Sheikh Zayed Road has an unposted minimum speed of 150
Km/h.

20. It is sobering to realize that local Arabs are taught how to drive by Pakistanis.

21. 18 wheeler trucks are one of the fastest vehicles in Dubai; they can do 120 Km/h on Hatta-Oman Road when fully loaded.

22. The minimum acceptable speed on the Emirates Road is 160 km/h. Anything less is considered downright sissy.

23. Al Khail Road is Dubai 's daily version of NASCAR RACING.

24. Dubai Autodrome has a new extension: The Emirates Road.

25. WELCOME TO THE UAE!

[White Knight]

The point that you're missing here MV8 is that if you drive in europe/Oz etc etc then you will experience something generally known as CONSIDERATION for other road users!!!!!
Here it's like Custers Last Stand:ouch:

[Thylakoid]

jai6638, the folks flashing lights and tailgating in Toronto are doing exactly as they do here in Dubai, because they are Iranians, Palestinians, Indians, Pakistanis, and Chinese immigrants. Most of them lived in this part of the Planet before going for a Canadian Passport:}

[jai6638]

Granted that its possibly the case.. However, I have seen the Caucasians do it too.. Its contagious and you just can't blame a few ethnicities for it... Traffic leads to frustration which leads to bad driving. We are all human so the any of the "first-world" country drivers arent exempt!

Moreover, another thing that pisses me off about US driving is how undecisive and unattentive some people are on the roads here! The driving test here in the US is a JOKE! The test for my friend was, back out of the parking slot, take a right, another right, stop at the stop sign, another right, and back in! Imagine my friend driving in Dubai ( or even NYC for that matter).. It'd be a nightmare.. Hence, I think the rule of making the process equal makes sense..

1. If your road map is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and get a new one.

Road map? What road map? :p I didnt know people used road maps in Dubai and that in fact, Dubai even had road maps for public use..

Its sad actually.. Dubai was so much better in the 90's... A nice and slow city with relatively organized driving! When I go back, I dont recognize it anymore! Everyone's frustrated..

[Fox3snapshot]

FLASHING HEADLIGHTS to get somebody to clear your lane Actually LEGAL in the UAE and ILLEGAL if you don't give way in the lane.

Found that out on the ol radio talk back show :suspect:

Soooooo based on this, bugger it! If you can't beat'm, join em I say! :E

[jai6638]

Soooooo based on this, bugger it! If you can't beat'm, join em I say!

I concur! Infact, its actually kinda fun sometimes! Helps relieve stress by transferring it to the driver in front of you!! ;)

[divdby0]

"the folks flashing lights and tailgating in Toronto are doing exactly as they do here in Dubai, because they are Iranians, Palestinians, Indians, Pakistanis, and Chinese immigrants. Most of them lived in this part of the Planet before going for a Canadian Passport:}"

i c...There should be lotsa vanilla faces flying in India at the moment. Just a word of advice. Get rid of your punk a$$ attitude when you fly there. If you see someone behind you flash his landing lights, better give way....or else, somebody gonna get a hurt real bad:\

[mustangV8]

marvelous, divdby0
but I think the punk a$$ attitude is hard to get rid of for some...after all, they did lose their empire...we should understand their decades' of frustration...NOW they have to give tests for their driving lic.'s!!!!:eek:
...talk about fall of the empire, eh?

and whiteknight, I get the point(ive been fortunate enough to have driven in many countries)...but the point you need to get is whatever driving standard the civilized world uses is NOT good enough anymore, in UAE anyway. Furthermore, I have seen 'consideration' on dubai roads countless times by blacks, whites, browns(all shades) etc. It all depends on the person, no?

I predict in a few years time, our civilized brothers will need to apply for a visa before entering the country! IMAGINE...the $H&T storm then...:{


PEACE
mV8

[Wiley]

Has anyone actually seen this new reg in print? (I ask because I flew with an FO a few days ago who is newly married and his wife is from of the 36 'new' countries and he said she didn't have to go through all this to get her licence.)

I find myself wondering if it isn't an April Fool's joke that someone posted here a week late.

[mustangV8]

wiley...if it is a joke...atleast we all know, now, how ppl feel about the issue. i.e sensitive subject:ouch:


mV8

[nitro rig driver]

Calm down chaps/chapesses

still the same for UK/Canadian license holders-in fact its even easier now

eye sight test-done in any opticians in 10 mins (25aed)(pic required)
form filled in
copies of driving license, and passport mugshot picture page
originals of above and 110AED

pop down to city center and down near the rubber stamp shop
by the taxi out rank the RTA has a little booth under the esculators

took 10 mins 2 days ago :D :D