In Saudi Arabia, children under the age of 12 must travel in an appropriate car seat or booster seat. No child under 10 years old is allowed to sit in the front seat, so if you plan to bring your children on vacation to the country, you should either bring a car seat with you or rent one from your car rental company for around SAR 20.88 (5.55 USD) per day.
If you plan to cross the border with your rental car in Saudi Arabia, you will need permission from your car rental company in the form of a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC). You will be permitted to cross the Oman and United Arab Emirates borders; however, the Jordan and Israeli borders are not allowed to be crossed from Saudi Arabia.
On your travels around Saudi Arabia, you will find that driving between cities, rather than within each, is much more enjoyable and is the fastest way to get around. This is one of the main reasons to rent a car instead of relying on public transportation. Take your rental car to visit the towns on the Red Sea coast, like Jeddah and Yanbu, which are 317 km (203 mi) apart from each other.
Since Saudi Arabia is mostly desert, primarily the Arabian Desert, it is best explored by a four-wheel drive, as standard cars will struggle in the sand. The popular pastime of "tet’ees" or sand-duning, requires off-road vehicles, which you can rent from your car rental company.
25% of our users found rental cars in Saudi Arabia for C$ 70 or less
Book your rental car in Saudi Arabia at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport rental car locations in Saudi Arabia are around 8% cheaper than airport locations on average
Full-size rental cars in Saudi Arabia are around -56% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Saudi Arabia
On average a rental car in Saudi Arabia costs C$ 58 per day.
Full-size (Class Full-size Car or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Saudi Arabia.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Alamo (C$ 38/day), Sixt (C$ 39/day) and Thrifty (C$ 40/day).
Based on car searches on KAYAK, the most popular cities to rent a car in Saudi Arabia are Jeddah (44% of total searches of users looking to rent a car in Saudi Arabia), Riyadh (21%) and Medina (7%).
On average a rental car in Saudi Arabia costs C$ 510 per week (C$ 73 per day).
On average a rental car in Saudi Arabia costs C$ 2,184 per month (C$ 73 per day).
When you rent a car in Saudi Arabia, you will need to drive on the right-hand side of the road and pass other cars on the left. It is mandatory for all drivers to wear a seatbelt, and using a mobile phone while driving is illegal. The road network is good in the country, and you will find that some intercity highways have up to eight lanes. There is one toll road on King Fahd Causeway that costs SAR 25 (6.67 USD) for small cars.
If you plan to rent a car in Saudi Arabia, the minimum age for drivers is 25 years old, and you must have held your license for over a year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young drivers surcharge. You are also required to present a valid International Driving Permit along with your passport before you rent a car. You will need to carry car registration documents, identification, and proof of insurance at all times.
You will find that the gas is some of the cheapest in the world and that the average price is 2.10 SAR (0.56 USD) per liter or 2.12 USD per gallon, when you rent a car in Saudi Arabia. You will find a good spread of gas stations along main roads and highways. You will need to remember that during prayer times, gas stations will be closed.
Before you drive in Saudi Arabia, you will need to be aware of the national speed limits. In urban areas, the speed limit is 45 km/h (28 mph), whereas on highways, it varies between 80 km/h (50 mph) and 120 km/h (74 mph), as signposted. Keep an eye out for unmarked police cars and speed cameras.
The rates displayed include all taxes and fees for car rentals for the class listed and were found by KAYAK users in the last 48 hours. Offers are subject to change and may not be available on all car rentals listed or dates of travel. Some car rental providers charge additional fees for other services (GPS, infant car seats, etc.). Please check the car rental providers' sites.