Child Car Seat Rules in the UAE, and Renting One With Your Car

1What are the child car seat rules in the UAE?

Two rules matter for anyone driving with children. A child under four must travel in an appropriate child safety seat, and a child under ten may not travel in the front seat at all. Both apply to a rental car exactly as they apply to a private one, and to visitors as much as to residents.

Penalties for not using a child seat run to a fine and black points on the driver's licence — on a rental, the driver is the person named on the contract. Amounts and point totals are set by the Ministry of Interior and have changed before, so treat any figure you read as the position at the time of writing and check the current schedule if it matters.

• Under 4: a child safety seat is required.
• Under 10: no front seat, whatever the child's size.
• The driver named on the rental contract carries the fine and the points.

2Can you rent a child car seat with a car in Dubai?

Most companies hire them, typically at around AED 25–50 a day, sometimes capped so a long rental does not pay indefinitely. Availability is the constraint rather than price: seats are a limited stock item and a company with none left has nothing to offer you.

Ask for the type as well as the seat. An infant carrier, a toddler seat and a booster are not interchangeable, and 'a child seat' on a booking confirmation does not say which one is waiting for you.

Confirm the seat in writing with your booking, including the child's age or weight. A seat that does not fit your child is the same problem as no seat.

3Should you bring your own car seat to Dubai?

It is often the better answer for a longer trip. Most airlines carry a car seat free of charge as an extra item, you know it fits your child, and over a week or two the daily hire fee adds up to more than the inconvenience.

Against that: you carry it through the airport, and a seat that has been through baggage handling should be inspected before use. For a short trip, hiring is usually simpler.

4What about fitting the seat, and taxis?

Ask whether staff will fit the seat at handover. Many will, and a seat fitted by someone who has done it a hundred times is worth the two minutes. If you fit it yourself, do it before you leave the forecourt rather than in a car park later.

Taxis are the gap in most family trips: ordinary Dubai taxis do not carry child seats, and the law does not exempt them. If you are not renting a car for the whole stay, a pre-booked transfer with a seat requested in advance is the reliable option — which is the same reason airport transfers are worth arranging before you land rather than at the rank.