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vorticity
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 35
Location: The Eurasian Plate
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 Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:14 pm Post subject: Driving |
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I get the idea there isn't much public transport in Riyadh; or that it might be more desirable to travel by private transport. So I have a few questions regarding driving:
- How expensive would it be to rent a small car?
- Would it be worth buying a car instead of renting (and if you are able, please mention whether general costs such as maintenance are expensive, etc.)?
- How would someone on a Business Visa go about renting/buying a car?
As a point of note, I'm from the UK (whether that makes any difference or not).
Thanks in advance for your repsonses |
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hsm
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
Posts: 65
Location: Second Floor
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| Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| How expensive would it be to rent a small car? |
50 riyal per day or more depending on car model
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| Would it be worth buying a car instead of renting (and if you are able, please mention whether general costs such as maintenance are expensive, etc.)? |
Actually, buying a car is more economical than renting especially if you are staying for a "long" time; the costs of car maintenance depend on the type of the car...running cost of Japanese cars is cheaper...European cars are more expensive in terms of maintenance and have heat problems especially when it comes to air conditioning...
Some people buy brand-new cars if they know they will stay for a long time and have solid salary...others prefer to buy a used one but the cost of maintenance will increase especially if you are trapped by a mechanic who lacks professional ethics...to be honest many of them are like that...other mechanics are ignorant...they can't even figure out where the problem is let alone the solution...
For many mechanics "maintenance" means "replacing" rather than "fixing"...replacing is easier for them and almost better for you!
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| How would someone on a Business Visa go about renting/buying a car? |
I'm not sure but I guess you should have a work visa...maybe other members can confirm this... |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Biz visa=no igama=no driving licence=no car
Read the threads about the problems of procededing to The magic Kingom witha business visa
Mind you, I exit quite well without my own vehicualr locmotion, but I am a weirdo and a hermit. |
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 861
Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
Biz visa=no igama=no driving licence=no car
Mind you, I exit quite well without my own vehicualr locmotion, but I am a weirdo and a hermit. |
Do you exit stage left or stage right?
Maybe you are faster than a speeding Saudi in a Toyota, able to leap tall camels in a single bound so therefore you can exit fast.
Grendal |
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EnglishDoYouSpeakIt
Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 151
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
Biz visa=no igama=no driving licence=no car
Read the threads about the problems of procededing to The magic Kingom witha business visa
Mind you, I exit quite well without my own vehicualr locmotion, but I am a weirdo and a hermit. |
This is wrong!
You can still rent a car from Budget or Avis with only a license and passport. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Dear EnglishDoYouSpeakIt,
Strange - since I asked a colleague of mine who's still in Riyadh, and according to him, Budget at least still requires an iqama. Did you rent in another city - although one would think such a policy would be country-wide?
And perhaps the situation has changed since this was posted in 2008:
"Welcome to the Kingdom and congratulations for receiving your Iqama. To answer your question, the iqama can be viewed as your residency card. The iqama indicates you are a legal resident in the Kingdom. With this document you can open a bank account, rent or buy a car, rent lodging and any other legal and/or business transactions. Without an iqama, one is very limited in what they are allowed to do. For example, one may come into the Kingdom on a visitors visa but that visa will not allow one to engage in many standard transactions of day to day life."
http://americanbedu.com/2008/01/21/renewal-of-iqama/
Regards,
John |
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EnglishDoYouSpeakIt
Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 151
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I personally only went to the Avis (the one on exit 5 across the street from fifty fruits and karmooshi) but heard the Budget works too. Maybe it doesn't. But I indeed was able to rent a car with my license and passport. |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, some car companies accept your driving license and your passport provided that it is stamped with the work visa (or the exit-re-entry visa). I did it. |
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EnglishDoYouSpeakIt
Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 151
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| 007 wrote: |
| Well, some car companies accept your driving license and your passport provided that it is stamped with the work visa (or the exit-re-entry visa). I did it. |
The issue is that people aren't receiving 'work' visas. |
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