How much is a driver in Dubai?

How much is a driver in Dubai: the short answer

A driver with a vehicle in Dubai costs from AED 900 per day with our 13-seater van, and from AED 950 per day with a car (the executive sedan), for up to 10 hours within Dubai with the driver and fuel included. A luxury SUV starts from AED 1,100 per day and a Mercedes V-Class from AED 1,150 per day.

Most people are surprised that the van is the cheaper one. The driver’s time costs the operator roughly the same in any vehicle. What changes the price is the vehicle itself: a high-roof Toyota HiAce costs far less to buy and run than an S-Class or a Cadillac Escalade, and the day rate follows.

Three things people mean by “a driver”

When someone asks how much a driver costs in Dubai, they usually mean one of three things, and they are priced in very different ways.

A car with a chauffeur. The company supplies the car, the driver, the fuel and the insurance, and you book by the trip, the hour or the day. This is what we mean by a car with driver or a personal driver.

A driver with a van, minibus or bus. The same idea for a group. You hire the whole vehicle and its driver, and the price is per vehicle, not per head. Our van with driver and bus rental price guide pages go into each size.

A driver for your own car, or one you employ. A safe driver service sends someone to drive your car home after an evening out. Employing a full-time driver means a salary, a visa and the rest. We don’t do either, and we don’t publish salaries; our guide to a personal driver vs a full-time driver lists what employing one involves.

Day prices for a driver and vehicle

Our starting prices for a full day of up to 10 hours within Dubai, with driver and fuel:

The Sprinter costs more than the other vans and buses because it is an executive vehicle with leather seating and a premium finish. Ask which layout you are being quoted.

By the hour, by the day or by the month

A day is the simplest unit: the vehicle and driver are yours for up to 10 hours within Dubai. If you only need a morning or an evening, hourly hire starts from four hours within Dubai, with the hourly rate written on your quote. Below four hours, a one-way or return transfer is usually the better buy.

For a regular pattern, such as weekday mornings for a month or a daily staff run, we quote the whole schedule at once rather than adding up single days. We don’t publish monthly figures, because they depend entirely on the days, the hours and the vehicle. Send the schedule and the price comes back in writing.

A rule of thumb from the phone: if you will use the vehicle for more than about six hours, book the day. If it is a morning of errands, book the hours. If it is just the airport, book the transfer.

What the price covers, and what changes it

Our day price covers the vehicle, the driver and fuel. The written quote also lists Salik tolls in Dubai, Darb tolls in Abu Dhabi, airport parking and the waiting allowance, so the total you agree is the total you pay. Late nights and public holidays cost the same as any other day.

The price goes up when the day does. Extra hours beyond the ten, a trip outside Dubai, waiting beyond the allowance and several vehicles on the same day are all priced on the quote. A trip to Abu Dhabi or Al Ain is an intercity day, not a Dubai day, so the Dubai starting price doesn’t apply.

When you compare quotes from other companies, check five things: how many hours their “day” includes, whether fuel and tolls are in it, whether airport and venue parking are in it, whether VAT is added on top, and what happens if the driver waits longer than planned. Our guide to what’s in a bus rental quote goes through each line.

The per-person sums

For a group, divide the vehicle price by the people in it. That is where the van and the coach look very different from a car. These examples use our starting prices for a full day within Dubai. They are examples, not quotes.

Example: six friends for a day around the city. The SUV works out at about AED 183 each. A 13-seater van would bring that down to about AED 150 each. It is less polished, and it has far more room for shopping bags.

Example: a site team of 11. Two sedans with drivers start from AED 1,900 for the day. One 13-seater van starts from AED 900 and keeps the team together, with one driver to call.

Which driver should you book?

For one to three people who want quiet and a good car, the sedan is right, and paying for it makes sense. For a family of five or six, the SUV or the V-Class. From about eight people upwards, stop thinking about cars at all: two cars cost more than one van, and the group arrives in two pieces.

If you are not sure, send us the head count, the luggage and the plan for the day. We recommend the vehicle and say why. Comparing all the ways of getting around, from the Metro to a coach? Read our guide to Dubai transport costs.

Related: Car with driver Dubai · Personal driver Dubai · Van with driver · Bus rental prices · Personal vs full-time driver · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Dubai transport costs: What it costs to get around Dubai by Metro, bus, taxi, app, private car, van or coach, with per-person sums for families and groups.
• Car with driver Dubai: Every way to book a car and driver in Dubai, by the trip, the hour, the day or the month, with the four car classes and their prices side by side.
• Van with driver: A V-Class, HiAce or Sprinter with a professional driver, by the hour, for the day or one way.
• Personal driver Dubai: A private driver and car by the hour, by the day or on a regular monthly schedule, for visitors, families and busy residents.
• Hire a driver or rent a car?: Renting a car in Dubai or hiring one with a driver: the real costs on each side, the licence question, parking and tolls, and who each option suits.
• Car with driver for a day: One car, one chauffeur, from breakfast to dinner, with the day planned around you rather than a meter.