Renting a Car in Saudi Arabia: 19 Things to Know

19 Things to Know Before Renting a Car and Driving in Saudi Arabia

First, let’s begin with the most important question of all: which car rental company to go for. There are several car rental companies you can choose from, both international and local. Which one you pick will depend on your budget, pick-up, and drop-off spots, and the type of trip you are planning.

If you are planning a short trip in big cities like Riyadh or Jeddah, you can opt for any international car rental company such as Hertz or Budget. They provide a wide range of cars at different price points to choose from. You can check the available cars here.

If you are planning to rent a car to go on a long-distance trip, you will be better off if you choose a local car rental company with favorable policies, such as unlimited miles and the option for different drop-off locations. This will enhance your experience in Saudi Arabia.

The two best local companies I recommend you check out are Yelo and Keys. Both are local companies that offer all the policies you might need for long-distance road trips, such as different pick-up and drop-off locations across several major cities, unlimited mileage, and full coverage insurance.

Between the two companies, Yelo is the better option with excellent services, a wide range of cars, and an easy booking process, albeit slightly more expensive overall.

Keys, the one I chose, also offers a great selection of cars, but the vehicle arrived a bit dirty, and we were charged for stains on the seats that we didn’t cause. That said, it was way cheaper than Yelo, and even though there were extra charges when returning, it was still cheaper than if we were to rent with Yelo.

If you are on a budget, Keys Car Rental is a great option, as long as you don’t mind the little annoyances that may arise. Yelo, on the other hand, has a ton of great reviews and although it might be a bit more expensive, you will likely have a much smoother experience overall.

2. Go with Open Mile and Full Insurance Coverage

Talking about car rental policies, if you plan to do long-distance trips in Saudi Arabia, I highly recommend you choose Open Mile and full insurance coverage. Saudi Arabia is huge and a daily mile limit of 200 km is going to hinder your ability to see the more remote places around the country.

It is also a jungle out here, with drivers not respecting the basic rules of the road, especially in big cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. Accidents can occur at any moment when you drive in Saudi Arabia, and I’m not even exaggerating. Trust me, I drive in Thailand every day, and I found the Saudi roads to be even more chaotic.

For peace of mind, rent a car with an open-mile policy and full insurance coverage, and you’ll have a much smoother road trip in Saudi Arabia. Oh, and there are also sandstorms to watch out for here, so keep that in mind 😅.

3. Record videos inside and outside of the car for evidence

Before you take the car from the rental company, make sure to record a video of both the exterior and interior of the car, including the mirrors. This way, you can use it as evidence to dispute any unexpected claims the rental company may make when you return the car.

Use the flash when recording with your phone, so any previous bumps and scratches are a bit more apparent in the video.

I recorded a video around the exterior of the car, as I usually do. However, this time, I forgot to take one inside the car. When Keys Car Rental blamed us for a car seat stain, we were unable to dispute it and ended up having to pay 57 SAR for it.

Don’t make the same mistake as me and be very thorough when taking the videos!

4. Get local sim card from STC for best coverage

If you don’t plan to venture far from major cities like Jeddah and Riyadh, you can rely on Airalo eSIMs for internet connection and GPS signals. The coverage is excellent within the city, and they are affordable and extremely convenient to get.

But if you plan to travel long distances, you will be better off with STC and its tourist packages, which offer the best coverage among all the carriers here. Saudi Arabia is massive, with much of the country connected via long, crisscrossing highways that traverse the empty Arabian Desert, and mobile coverage can be spotty in certain areas.

There were many instances, like when we were visiting Al-Wa’bah Crater, which is located in the middle of nowhere, that I was glad to have an internet connection so that I could punch in my next destination in Google Maps and continue my journey.

If you are looking for a reliable SIM card with a data connection to use Google Maps for navigating Saudi Arabia, go with STC. You should be able to find an STC kiosk in the arrival halls of Riyadh and Jeddah International Airports.

5. Tailgating is Common Here

Now that we are done with the rental phase, it is time to talk about the reality of driving on the infamous Saudi Arabian roads, ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world.

One of the first things you will notice the moment you drive your rental car out of the airport is that people tend to tailgate each other as if their houses were on fire. This behavior can be extremely annoying, especially for visitors like us, but it’s important to know that it is very common in Saudi Arabia.

Don’t panic or get angry when someone does this to you. The moment you see a car approaching fast behind you, just get out of the way as fast as possible.

If you think they only tailgate in the fast lane, you will be surprised to see them tailgating and honking at you even if you are in the right-most lane, trying to find a parking spot on a crowded road. Yup, that’s what happened to me in Jeddah and Abha.

The key to avoiding this is to know your destination beforehand and drive with confidence. Set the location on your Google Maps and stick to it. You don’t want to find yourself driving reluctantly when there are people tailgating you because, given the way they drive here, they would definitely rear-end you if you slowed down suddenly.

6. Stay in the Middle or Right Lane

Another way to avoid trouble on the road in Saudi Arabia is to stick to the middle or right lane (slow lane) when driving and only use the left lane when you want to overtake someone. Do not stay in the fast lane or you will be tailgated and honked into oblivion by the locals.

For long distances, you will feel much more comfortable driving in the middle lane as the intercity highways often have 3 lanes and you can cruise along without having to deal with tailgaters for much of the trip. That’s how I kept myself sane while driving 3,000 km on Saudi roads 😂.

7. No One Use Turn Signals

Another thing you ought to know about Saudis and how they drive is that they will never ever show weaknesses in their hearts and use turn signals when switching lanes, unless they want to do the “Saudi Sweep” and go from the first lane to the fourth lane in one go. That’s just the way they do it here.

Whenever you see a car swaying in one direction with a highway exit approaching, assume that they will want to cut you off, even if you are in the right-most lane and they are in the left-most lane.

And trust me, do not quarrel with the way they drive here. It’s not about who’s right or who’s wrong here. It’s about avoiding accidents, and when you see them do that, just prepare for it and stay safe.

8. Practice Defensive Driving and Situational Awareness

Since it’s a jungle out there and you have no control over any of it, it’s best that you internalize your anger and turn it into positive energy, practice defensive driving, and situational awareness. That’s the only way how you can survive the Saudi roads unscathed.

When you drive, always be aware of your fellow drivers and prepare for any possibilities, rules be damned. For example, if you see someone backing their car out into the road, get ready to stop, as they may continue to do so despite seeing your car.

Drive as if you have to look out for everyone on the road because based on my experience, I assume that’s what they expect others to do when they drive like a madman. Drive defensively, be aware of your surroundings, and you will be fine.

9. Watch Out for the brown speed camera boxes

Due to the driving habits of Saudis, the government has installed speed cameras all across the country in recent years, and they are taking speeding very seriously, imposing hefty fines if caught. If you want to avoid hefty fines when returning your car, be vigilant and watch out for the cameras.

The speed camera comes in different forms, with the most common one being the little brown box located on the side of the road that will flash whenever someone is speeding. There are also overhead cameras along the road and black columns of cameras are often installed near intersections.

If you see a flash while you are driving, it means that you were driving over the speed limit, and they have taken a photo of your car. Don’t worry too much yet, as the photos are often reviewed again. If you were not exceeding 10-15% of the speed limit, you should be off the hook.

You can often find speed limit signs along the road, and you can often go over it by about 10-15% before you are fined. If you can’t find the speed limit sign, stick to this rule:

City: 80 km/hr
Single Lane Highway: 100 km/hr
Double Lane Highway: 110 km/hr
Triple Lane Highway: 120 km/hr
Long Straight Quadruple Lane Highway: 140 km/hr

These rules are not set in stone, but they give you an idea in case you can’t find a speed limit sign or you are having trouble translating the Arabic numerals, which is another thing you should consider when driving in Saudi Arabia.

10. Learn Arabic Numerals

As mentioned previously, many of the road signs, including speed limit signs, are still in Arabic, and with so many speed cameras in Saudi Arabia, you might want to memorize a bit of the Arabic numerals so that you know what speed you should be driving at.

Zero, one, and nine are easy to memorize as they are the same as Western Arabic numerals, but the others may require a bit more practice. It shouldn’t be too difficult though as long as you familiarize yourself with them before getting behind the wheel.

11. Watch Out for Unpainted Speed Breakers

Unpainted speed breakers in Saudi Arabia are the bane of my existence. They are often found before a roundabout, an intersection, and sometimes in the least expected places, and most of them I encountered are either unpainted or the yellow paint has disappeared so much that it blends into the road.

The number of times I’ve had to suddenly brake when a speed breaker came into view is countless. The roads around AlUla definitely take the cake for having the most invisible speed breakers out there. I’ve had many close calls while driving in the area, especially at night when the speed breakers are barely visible.

If you plan to drive in Saudi Arabia, be prepared for these invisible minefields. You can often see speed breaker signs on the side of the road when you are approaching one, but not always. It is best to be vigilant here, and if you are driving at night, switch to high-beam headlights for better visibility.

12. Make Sure your gas tank is at least one-third full before long trips

Gas stations are few and far between around the Arabian Desert, and you could go for hours without seeing one, or find one only to discover it is closed down and abandoned.

To avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere in Saudi Arabia, I highly recommend keeping your gas tank at least one-third full most of the time. Whenever you leave a big city for a long travel stretch, fill up your tank before exiting the city, and whenever it goes down by half, stop at the next available station and keep it topped up.

Gas is cheap in Saudi Arabia, so feel free to fill up the tank as often as possible for your peace of mind. The roads in and out of AlUla are particularly scarce in terms of gas stations, so make sure you fill up before traveling to or from the city.

13. Most Gas Stations Accept Cards

From my experiences driving around Saudi Arabia, I found that most gas stations accepted credit cards. However, some gas stations in remote parts of the country may not have a functioning credit card machine, so it is always a good idea to carry cash in case this happens.

Personally, I only encountered 2 gas stations, out of maybe 10-15 gas stations, that didn’t accept credit cards, so for your peace of mind, carry some cash with you when you are going on a road trip in Saudi Arabia.

Sometimes, on a single-lane road, an approaching driver might flash their headlights as you pass. This is the way Saudis communicate with other drivers, often indicating that either a speed camera is ahead or there are camels, sheep, or donkeys crossing the road. So, whenever you see people flashing their headlights at you, slow down your car and remain vigilant.

15. Remote Highway Roads are not in the best condition

Most tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia are connected via paved roads (except the Edge of The World near Riyadh), and you should be able to travel around the country in a regular 2WD sedan without having to go off-road.

That said, don’t expect the roads to be in top condition when driving along the highways in Saudi Arabia. Many highway roads, especially those near Al Bahah and Abha, are often old and have patchworks and potholes.

Many roads, like the rest of the country, are undergoing renovations and expansions, and you will often encounter roadside construction sites and detours that may impact the quality of the road and the flow of traffic. Despite that, it’s much better than many places I’ve driven in (such as Zanzibar). As long as you don’t drive as if you’re on an Autobahn, you should be fine.

16. Many Gas Stations Only Have Men Toilets

One of the things we quickly realize is that many gas stations in the countryside do not have women’s toilets—only men’s toilets! This was definitely new to me, and I think it may have been due to the previous law that prohibited women from driving.

What we found is that if you are looking for a gas station with a women’s toilet, you can always count on gas stations with a lot of tour buses parked in them, since that is probably their usual spot for passengers to take a break.

You will also find restaurants and food here, so if you are in doubt, always stop at a gas station with these tour buses and take a break, or avoid drinking too much liquid before traveling long distances.

17. Watch Out for Crazy Hitchhikers

Story time: My experience driving in Saudi Arabia was relatively smooth and without many hiccups, but one incident that stood out for me was when we were driving down Jabal Sawda, the highest mountain in Saudi Arabia, into the city of Abha right after sunset. Along the way, we came across a local guy hitchhiking along the road.

It’s pretty common in this part of Saudi Arabia, and I didn’t think much of it. However, as I drove by him, he suddenly stepped onto the road, waving his hands to stop us. This happened on a pitch-black mountain road at night, by the way, and it startled me quite a bit. I swerved away, but he was hitting our car with something, possibly his belt, to force us to stop.

We were pretty shaken by the incident, and I was sure as hell glad I didn’t slow down and drive so close to the side of the road for him to be able to open our car doors while driving. As we passed him, we saw that he was doing the same to all the other cars behind us.

I assume that he had been hitchhiking for a while and no one picked him up, and he got aggressive, or he might just be a criminal or not right in his mind. Either way, it was one of the craziest moments driving in Saudi Arabia, and I thought you should know about it so that you will avoid this type of encounter.

18. Spare at least 30 minutes for car returns

After you are done with your trip and are about to fly out of Saudi Arabia, if you are returning the car at the airport, make sure you spare at least 30 minutes for the car rental company to check the condition of the car and for you to dispute any claims they might make so that you don’t miss your flight.

We ended up returning our car at Abha International Airport, and we are glad we decided to arrive three hours prior to departure time. It took us 30 minutes to return the car and resolve all the disputes. Not as smooth as I had hoped, but understandable as we were not returning at the same place we got the car, so they had to be extra careful.

This is when all the video recordings of your car will also come in handy, so make sure you have them ready.

19. Lastly, do not get angry

Last but not least, do not get angry when driving in Saudi Arabia. Trust me, complaining and arguing about their dangerous behavior is futile. It’s just the way it is here, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

When someone is not following the rules of the road, just keep calm and, as I said, drive defensively and practice situational awareness and you will come out of this unscathed, as I did! Happy travels!

Further Reading for Saudi Arabia

Looking for more information for your trip to Saudi Arabia? Here is a collection of articles about Saudi Arabia that you might find useful:

Planning a trip to Saudi Arabia? Here’s a perfect itinerary for you: 2 Weeks Saudi Arabia Itinerary.
Want to visit Saudi Arabia, but not sure where to go? Check out: 15 Best Places to Visit in Saudi Arabia.
Visiting Riyadh soon and wondering what there is to do there? Check out: 10 Best Things to Do in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
AlUla is, hands down, one of the most beautiful places in Saudi Arabia and if you plan to visit there, you are going to need this guide: 10 Best Things to Do in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah is the Dubai of Saudi Arabia with the same laid-back vibe, but way cooler history. Here are the10 Best Things to Do in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Looking to explore more? How about dropping by the United Arab Emirates Travel Guide, Qatar, or Bahrain?
Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.