Wow,
I know that car rental rates were high, but that is ridiculous.
Don't worry about the car rental thing. For a few kapufniks, you can get an International Driving Permit, validating your UAE licence for almost all countries of the world (including Canada) for one year. That is if it is even required (I am not sure), since I have successfully rented and driven cars on foreign driver's licences in Canada numerous times (being a visitor to Canada) without holding an IDP. In fact, I enjoyed it when I was once pulled over by the RCMP and saw the puzzled look on his face as he read my Licence which was only in Spanish. He let me off with an oral warning of "In Canada we . . . "
As far as having to take the test over-- you can reclaim it if you return before the date it would have expired when you turned it in. If not, so what?!?!? Take the test (and think of all the money you've saved in taxes). After driving for years in the UAE you will have probably picked up some bad habits that could do for some remedial training.
