Driving is a hugely useful skill to have at your disposal, especially if you live in one of the suburban areas that isn’t packing a particularly robust public transportation network. Thankfully, there are many driving schools in Dubai that can help you master this extremely beneficial life skill. So, with that mind, let’s take a look at the best Dubai driving schools.
LIST OF DUBAI DRIVING SCHOOLS
There are many RTA-approved driving schools in Dubai, including Emirates Driving Institute, Belhasa and others from where you can learn the basics of driving a car. Once you get the training, you have to go through different stages of the actual driving test, right from the theory to the road test.
EMIRATES DRIVING INSTITUTE (EDI)
Established in 1991, Emirates Driving Institute is one of the most successful Dubai driving schools accredited by AA Driving School in the UK. Over 500,000 students have acquired training from this well-reputed institute under the guidance of around 500 highly professional instructors. EDI offers different driving courses based on the type of vehicles and training hours.
You can enrol for car, motorcycle, heavy bus and truck driving licence courses at EDI. The training institute also has a mobile app and driving simulator facility. It has over 40 branches in Dubai, with two major training and testing centres at Al Quoz and Al Qusais and an exclusive Platinum Driving Course institute at Jumeirah.
- Location: Multiple, including Al Qusais
- Fee: Varied – depends on vehicle type, number of hours, timing etc.
- Timings: 08:15 am to 10:00 pm I Fri: 07:15 am – 11:30 am, 02:00 pm – 04:00 pm
- Contact: +971-4-263-1100
GALADARI MOTOR DRIVING CENTRE (GMDC)
Since 2004, Galadari Motor Driving Centre is a certified centre that operates within the framework rolled out by the RTA. It is one of the leading driving institutes that offers light and heavy vehicle driving courses in Dubai.
The institute has an in-house RTA team that issues learning permits to their students. Moreover, there is an air-conditioned waiting lounge, a kids’ playroom, cafe, mosque and an ATM facility at GMDC’s main offices in Al Qusais and Al Quoz.
The centre has over 40 branches across the entire Dubai, including Al Qusais, Lulu Al Warqa, International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, The Dubai Mall, Al Quoz and a new VIP Lounge in Box Park.
This is one of the Dubai driving schools which also offer special discounts for students, nurses, military personnel, Emirates Gifts reward and more.
- Location: Multiple including Next to Shaklan Supermarket, 3rd St, Al Al Nahda 1
- Fee:
- CAR: AED 2,000 for a total of 20 hours (Beginners), AED 1500 for a total of 15 hours (Living with a national license valid 2-5 Years old)
- Motorcycle: AED 1,350 for a total of 15 hours (Beginners), AED 720/- for a total of 8 hours (holders of a valid license from home country)
- Light Bus: AED 2,000 for a total of 20 hours (Beginner)
- Heavy Bus: AED 2,800 for a total of 20 hours (Beginner)
- Heavy Truck: AED 2,800 for a total of 20 hours (Beginner)
- Forklift: AED 1,800 for a total of 20 hours (Beginner)
- Shovel: AED 2,800 for a total of 20 hours (Beginner)
- Timings: 08:00 am – 08:00 pm | Fri: 03:00 pm – 09:00 pm
- Contact: +971-4-267-6166
Please note that driving classes for light and heavy buses, trucks are also offered on Fridays at different rates. The fee quoted above is the starting rate.
BELHASA DRIVING CENTER
A brainchild of Mr. Saif Ahmed Belhasa, Belhasa Driving Center introduced the novel concept of a futuristic driving institute in Dubai. It is now considered one of the best driving schools in the city.
BDS offers basic and advanced driving tutorials, theoretical classes, practical sessions for various automobiles, including motorcycles, LMS, trucks, buses, forklifts and shovels. It arranges e-lectures and VVIP courses in a driving location chosen by the students. Moreover, they occasionally introduce offers, discounts and different memberships.
- Location: Multiple, including Al Quoz
- Timings: Saturday -Thursday: 07:00 am – 11:00 pm
- Contact: 800-235-4272
DUBAI DRIVING CENTER
Established in 2003 by local entrepreneurs, Dubai Driving Center is an RTA-accredited institute in the city. The school offers light motor vehicles, motorcycles, heavy trucks, bus and light and heavy forklift courses. You can either attend them at the institute or opt for the e-learning option available on their website. The school introduces special discounts and offers from time to time.
The institute has branches in DIP, Al Qusais, Al Barsha and Al Khail area to name a few. However, the head office of Dubai Driving Center is located on Jumeirah Road. Each of these branches offers different facilities. The DIP and Al Khail branches offer Light Motor Vehicle, Motorcycle, Heavy Truck, Heavy Bus and Fork Lift courses while Al Qusais 1 offers only LMV courses.
- Location: Multiple, including Dubai Investment Park (DIP)
- Fee:
- Heavy vehicle: AED 4,750 for beginners
- Light Vehicle Manual/Automatic: AED 3,835 for 28 hours (regular course)
- Motorcycle: AED 3,190 for 23 hours (regular course)
- Light Bus: AED 4,490 for 28 hours (regular course)
- Heavy Bus: AED 4,750 for 28 hours (regular course)
- Forklift: AED 4,450 for 24 hours (regular course)
- Truck: AED 4,810 for 28 hours (regular course)
- Timings: 07:30 am – 1:30 pm, 03:00 pm – 05:30 pm, Friday: 07:30 am – 01:30 pm, 03:00 pm – 05:00 pm
- Contact: +971-4-802-0000
Please note that prices are subject to change. You can confirm the charges by directly contacting the driving school.
AL AHLI DRIVING SCHOOL
Our list of best driving centres in Dubai is incomplete without the mention of Al Ahli Driving School. Operating since 2006, Al Ahli offers courses for cars, heavy and light buses, heavy trucks, forklifts and motorcycles. The institute offers e-learning in three different languages: English, Urdu and Arabic.
There are driving courses tailored for people of determination at Al Ahli Driving School. The centre has vehicles with hand controls as well as special instructors trained from Sharjah Humanitarian Services to cater to their needs.
- Location: Al Quoz, Industrial 4 Street No. 19A Road No. 318
- Fee:
- LMV: AED 115.5 per hour (regular course)
- Motorcycle: AED 640 (RTA and Al Ahli opening training fee)
- Light and heavy bus: AED 115.5 per hour (regular course)
- Truck: AED 168 per hour (regular course)
- Forklift: AED 105 per hour (regular course)
- Timings: 08:00 am – 11:00 pm I Friday: 07:00 am – 12:00 pm, 03:00 pm – 05:00 pm
- Contact: +971-4-341-1500
DRIVE DUBAI
Next on our list of the best driving school in Dubai is Drive Dubai. Operating for the past nine years, the 850,000 sq. f.t. facility is one of the largest driving centres in the New Dubai area with modern facilities. This journey will be fairly straightforward for you with the experienced management team, highly trained instructors and a comprehensive service manual.
There are specialised learning courses for motorcycles, heavy trucks, heavy buses, light buses, heavy forklifts, light forklifts.
- Location: Multiple locations, including Al Barsha
- Fee:
- Motorcycle: AED 2,130 (For 8-hour course)
- Heavy bus: AED 3,464 (for 20 hours)
- Light bus: AED 4,440 (for 20 hours)
- Heavy Forklift: AED 3,450 (for 20 hours)
- Light Forklift: AED 2,900 (for 20 hours)
- Timings: Weekdays 10:00 am – 10:00 pm | Weekends: 10:00 am to 02:00 pm
- Contact: +971-4-885-5118
FAQs
What are the best Dubai driving schools in Dubai International City?
Almost all of the above-mentioned driving schools have branches in Dubai International City.
What is the legal age to drive in Dubai?
You can drive once you turn 18 in Dubai.
What are the documents required to obtain an International Driving Licence (IDL) in Dubai?
You need to submit the following documents to get an IDL:
- Your Emirates ID
- A copy of a valid UAE driving licence and residence visa
- Two photos (passport photos)
You will also need to pay between AED 150 and AED 170 in charges to procure an International Driving License in Dubai.
What are the best Dubai driving schools for ladies?
Women can enjoy special driving lessons delivered by female coaches at both the Galadari Driving Institute and the Emirates Driving Institute in Dubai.
Which types of cars should you consider?
During the initial period after passing their test, most people prefer to buy a second-hand car. If that’s your plan, there are some excellent second-hand car dealerships in Dubai.
Here are a few tips for driving in Dubai that can help you navigate the roads safely.
Can I buy luxury cars in Dubai?
If you have no budget constraints, buying luxury cars in Dubai is relatively straightforward. Recently, many automotive companies have launched electric cars in the UAE that work using an internal combustion engine. They are certainly a viable option if you want to save on expenditure and energy.
Once you’ve got the knowledge and skills required to drive a vehicle safely, you can apply for a driving licence in Dubai.
