Got a road trip from Qatar to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on your mind? Travelling from Qatar to UAE has to be via Saudi Arabia as there is no direct border between Qatar and UAE. This means you will need documentation and will have to undergo the procedures for both Saudi Arabia & UAE.
The ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) team is here with the essential information you would need to know for your trip.
To ensure you have no problem with travelling by road to UAE and you can cross the borders, you will need the following essential personal documents:
Qatar ID or QID (Qatar Identification Document)
Passport
Valid visa (make sure to keep a printed copy of your UAE visa as you will have to present this at the UAE border)
Valid vehicle registration (Istimara)
Driving license
Visa
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As you will be travelling via Saudi Arabia to UAE, you will need to have a valid visa to Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Note: Qatari citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Saudi Arabia or UAE.
Saudi Arabia visa
To apply for a visa to Saudi Arabia from Qatar, you can do so online via Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or through the Tasheer visa centre located at Ezdan Mall, Gharaffa.
Note that although Saudi Arabia offers a transit visa, it is a visa that's valid only for 96 hours, and it only offers a single entry. Additionally, it can only be applied once in 3 months; therefore, applying for a regular tourist visa will be recommended.
Online e-visa (tourist visa) fees:
The e-visa will cost QR 290.59 (SAR 300) - excluding the medical insurance.
The price of medical insurance starts at QR 36.5 ($10); however, it may vary based on the insurance company chosen. You can apply and pay for this while doing the visa application procedure online.
Tasheer e-visa (tourist visa) fees:
The visa fees are subjective to the visa type; however, a tourist visa is approximately QR 522 (inclusive of the visa cost, the service fees for Tasheer, the medical fees & Enjaz fees). If you are to avail of the lounge service at the visa centre, there will be an additional charge of QR 335.
Note: If you apply for your visa through the Tasheer visa centre, your biometrics will be done at the visa centre itself, and you will not be required to do so at the Abu Samra Border.
The visa fee breakdown is as follows:
S.No.
Fee Type
Charges (QR)
1
MoFA Visa Fee (Tourism)
306.00
2
MoFA Enjaz Fee
41.00
3
MoFA Medical Fee (if applicable)
41.00
4
Service Fee - Regular appointment
134.00
5
Lounge Service Fee
335.00
UAE visa
UAE offers a dedicated visa service for residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which offers a visitor entry visa for a maximum period of 30 days. This visa can only be extended once.
Requirements to get the GCC resident visitor visa:
A valid passport
A copy of the residence permit or an electronic extract stating the profession and validity of the residence permit
Personal photo (white background)
The visa can be applied online via the https://smart.gdrfad.gov.ae website. Once all steps are completed, the visa fee is paid, and the visa is approved, it will be sent to the user's email.
It is mandatory that the passport is valid for at least 6 months, and the visitor must have a GCC residence permit valid for at least 1 year.
Note: Visa approval is subject to the profession of the applicant as it must be on the list of approved professions (this is at the discretion of evaluation by the concerned authority).
The visa approval should take a duration of 48 hours for completion (subject to change).
Online visa fees:
QR 203.2 (AED250) plus VAT (5%) - total cost of approximately QR 213.36.
Medical insurance
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Saudi Arabia medical insurance
Medical insurance is a mandatory requirement to enter Saudi Arabia; therefore, you will need to get medical insurance along with the visa. Typically, the price of medical insurance starts at QR 36.5 ($10); however, may vary based on the insurance company chosen.
If you are applying for the visa through the Tasheer visa centre, your medical insurance fee will be included as part of your total payable visa fee.
UAE medical insurance
Medical insurance is not a mandatory requirement to enter UAE.
Vehicle insurance
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Saudi Arabia vehicle insurance
Vehicle insurance for Saudi Arabia can be purchased at the Abu Samra Border. The Abu Samra border is Qatar's land border that is located on Salwa Road. It serves as a direct entry point to Saudi Arabia by road.
You can also purchase this insurance online prior to your travel using the designated 'Najm Manafith' application - Android | iOS. The price of the vehicle insurance starts at QR 116.48 (SAR 120) for 1 week.
The price of vehicle insurance varies based on the duration of stay and also on the type of vehicle, such as private, taxi, truck, motorcycle or bus.
UAE vehicle insurance
Vehicle insurance is a mandatory requirement for foreign vehicles entering UAE.
This can be purchased up to 10 days in advance, prior to your arrival in UAE, using the 'Shory Aber' application (Andriod | iOS) or upon arrival at the Ghuwaifat Port Station.
Vehicle insurance fee starts from:
QR 208.16 (210 AED) - 15 days
QR 312.24 (315 AED) - 30 days
QR 416.32 (420 AED) - 3 months
QR 520.40 (525 AED) - 6 months
Journey & Procedure
1. Entering Saudi Arabia from Qatar
Abu Samra border to exit Qatar
To get to UAE, you will first need to exit Qatar and enter Saudi Arabia via the Abu Samra border.
When you reach the Abu Samra border, you will need to complete the documentation and procedures to enter Saudi Arabia.
Cross the first booth, which will be Qatar's immigration to exit Qatar, where you will be required to provide your personal documents to be validated.
After crossing the Abu Samra border, you will drive a distance and enter Saudi Arabia through the main entry point.
After crossing the entry point, you will continue driving straight until you see the Saudi Immigration/Passport Control booth to your right. Here, your documents will be checked and validated once again.
Once you enter past the Saudi Immigration/Passport control booth, you will need to park your car and enter the building named 'Passports' to complete the biometrics procedure (fingerprints & eye scan) and capture your photo.
Note: There are segregated buildings for men (building 3) and women (building 2); also, ensure that you are standing in the right queue, as there are separate queues for GCC citizens & other nationalities).
Upon completion of your biometrics procedure, your personal documents will be validated, and the immigration officers will check your visa documents.
Once all personal documents are validated and the biometrics procedure is done, you will have to proceed to the next stop, which is a small drive away, where your vehicle documents will be checked and validated. If you have not purchased your vehicle insurance, you will be able to at this point.
Note: you must hold on to your vehicle insurance receipt as you will need to show this during your return to Qatar.
Note: Payments made after crossing the Abu Samra border and entering Saudi Arabia can still be done using Qatari credit/debit cards or in Qatari Riyals.
2. Entering UAE after crossing Saudi Arabia
Image Credit: Instagram - luxurytravelcamel
To access UAE, you will have to continue your journey towards Al Batha/Ghuwaifat Port after entering Saudi Arabia (approximate distance of 126 km). Al Batha refers to the Saudi Arabian side of the border, and Ghuwaifat refers to the UAE side of the border.
You will first enter the Al Batha Port, after which you will continue driving until you get to the first stop, which is the customs of the Saudi Arabian exit point.
Once the checking at customs is done, you will proceed to the Passport Control of the Saudi Arabian exit point.
After some drive time through a 'no man land', you will enter the UAE territory - you should be able to see a 'Welcome to UAE' signage.
Your first stop after entering UAE, is the vehicle scan which you will have to drive through. Once done, you will drive to the next booth to collect a paper that will be provided to you.
You will continue driving until your next stop, which will be the UAE passport control booths, where your personal documents will be validated, and you will have to complete your biometrics (iris scan).
Note: Make sure you are in the right queue, as there is a separate queue for UAE residents and a separate one for visitors.
After the UAE passport control booth, you will continue driving till you approach the UAE customs booth.
Once your procedures at the UAE customs booth are complete, you will continue on to the next and last stop, the UAE car insurance. If you already have your car insurance, it will be validated here, or you can purchase it.
From here on, you can continue a straight road journey to Abu Dhabi, which is approximately 356.4 km away and has a travel time of 3 hours. If you are headed to Dubai, it will take approximately 4 hours as it is 453 km away.
Exit UAE & return to Qatar via Saudi Arabia
Image Credit: mohammad_wasel_bd
When exiting UAE, your first stop will be a booth where you will have to make an 'Exit Payment' - QR 29.68 (AED 30).
Once your payment is done, you will then pass through passport control, followed by the UAE customs booth, which will be your last stop before exiting UAE.
Once you complete the procedures at the UAE border, you will continue your journey to cross and enter the Saudi Arabia side of the border (Al Batha).
From there, you will continue your journey to the Abu Samra border, from which you can easily access back into Qatar.
Multiple routes can be taken from Saudi Arabia when returning to Qatar based on the city you are coming from.
One of the roads you can use is the newly opened Al Uqayr-Salwa coastal road, which brings you from Dammam to the Qatar border within a duration of approximately 2 hours (timings may vary).
Note: Based on confirmation from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Transport, this road will be officially opened on 25 February 2024.
Other details
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Journey time: Your whole journey from Qatar to UAE could take approximately 8 to 10 hours - subject to change based on crowd and procedure time at the borders.
Speed limits:
Al Ghuwaifat Port Station to Abu Dhabi - 160 km/h (subject to change)
Abu Dhabi to Dubai - 140 km/h (subject to change)
Petrol stations:
A Woqod petrol station can be found approximately 1 km before the Abu Samra border. This is the last fuel station before reaching the Abu Samra border. You will also be able to get some refreshments for yourself here as there are eateries. The station has designated prayer rooms as well as toilets.
Once you have crossed the Abu Samra border and entered Saudi Arabia, you should be able to find a petrol station approximately 15 kilometres away.
Within close proximity to the UAE border, you will find a number of petrol stations.
Sources: Visit Saudi/Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ Tasheer Visa Center/General Directorate of Residency And Foreign Affairs - Dubai/Gulf News/United Arab Emirates Government Portal
Planning on a road trip to UAE? Will you be using this guide for your journey? Do let us know in the comments below. Do share this article - it keeps us going!
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