UAE to UK
 

Hello - I'm new to this site so please be gentle with me. I wonder if anybody has the answer to my initial query? I have been planning to do this trip in a Land Rover Defender for many years. I am working and resident in Saudi Arabia at present and wish to buy the car in Dubai, my problem is that I cannot register the car in Dubai as I am not resident there. It seems that although I can buy the car and export it I can't actually drive anywhere on the export plates that may be supplied. I have been advised to get a friend to register the car (I don't have any in UAE) and have their written permission to take out of country. Has anybody else faced the same problem? The obvious thing to do is to buy a Defender in Saudi but believe me I've tried, they are crazy prices and very scarce.

Will be most grateful if anybody has any advice.

Thanks very much.

Hi Ian
Have you thought of a Ford Ranger?
The experience of driving home is worth more than the car!I have driven from Dubai to UK three times,in a small saloon a Pajero and a Defender which I have now owned for ten years.My wife would swop it out any day for a Fordbier

What are your plans after your trip with the vehicle? Where do you plan to live, where do you want to use the car? Those questions has to answered to make a plan.

If the vehicle is expensive in your current home, there may be a reason like import tax /fees.

I suggest to check, what you have to do for an import to your homebase. Shipping is around 3000$. Mostly you are not the only one who want to import a cheaper car from outside, you will find usefull stuff and guidelines.

Surfy

Hi Ian,

The prices of Defenders in KSA is slowly coming down as the markets start to flood there is still 20% to add on if you are importing from UAE, shipping is 2000-3000 SAR then registration that will require a broker if you are not fluent in Arabic. Once on a KSA plate then you can start the export process, check first how long you would have to own it in KSA before you are allowed to export (Expats are only allowed one import every 3 years) so worth looking into.

The markup is outrageous. What cost 45k in the Uk and 55k in the US cost the equivalent of 60k in KSA. You would literally have a left hand drive 45k car that you paid 60k for in GCC spec with an Individual type assessment by DVLA when you register it.
Just food for thought.