What to Know Before You Rent a Car in Saudi Arabia

Rent a car in Saudi Arabia is not as hard to get approved for as many people think. If you have good credit history, work experience or an excellent passport, there are many car rental companies in Saudi Arabia that can help you book a rental without a deposit. The same is true if you plan on traveling alone and will be driving your own vehicle. You may want to book a car with an added bonus such as a satellite phone or an alarm system that will require a small deposit.

Even though there are no deposit requirements for car rentals in Saudi Arabia, getting a car rental without a deposit is still not advisable. It is a lot harder to turn down a car rental request without a deposit than it is to turn down an individual request without one. Many of the larger car rental companies in the Kingdom require individuals to pay a one time fee of around $100 as a deposit. If you do not have this money available, then the chances of your getting a car rental are pretty slim. This fee will most likely be required whether you are a tourist or a local Saudi citizen. However, if you plan on driving around in your personal vehicle, it is best to have this money available beforehand, just in case you need it.

If you need to rent a car in Saudi Arabia and do not have enough cash on you to pay the one time fee, then consider calling around to different car rental companies. They will often offer discounts to individuals renting a car through their company, as well as incentives for booking through them. The more competitive car rental companies in the Kingdom tend to have less strict requirements, although they should still allow you to rent a car without a deposit.

Most of the larger car rental companies will allow individuals to rent a car without a deposit as long as they have a decent driving record. If you have had any accidents or tickets, this is probably not the ideal situation for you, as these types of incidents will significantly impact your car insurance premiums. Most insurance providers will not cover you for accidents that happen while you are driving in another nation, regardless of who was at fault. For this reason, it is important that you get all of your insurance paperwork in order and that you fully understand the terms of your rental agreement before leaving the country.

Another thing to remember when you rent a car in Saudi Arabia is that the price you pay will almost always be higher in the morning than it would be at night. Because of the heavy traffic, you will likely find that the cost of a car rental goes up every evening. It is important to plan your trip so that you arrive early to the counter and ask about any discounts that might be available for you, as well as to ask about payment plans.

In the end, it is important to remember that renting a car in Saudi Arabia is an option that not all people will be able to afford. However, if you are traveling with a larger group, you can often save a lot of money on a car rental. It is important that you do not take on debt or any obligations when you rent a car. If you need to buy a new car when you return home, you may find that the money you were paying to rent the car would have been useful to pay for the new car instead.