Owners of Dirty Cars in Abu Dhabi Can Be Fined AED 3,000

If you have been wondering whether or not to subscribe for a weekly car wash at your apartment or office, now is a good time for it.

As part of Abu Dhabi Municipality’s ongoing awareness campaign to keep the emirate neat and tidy, motorists may face fines that could cost them a pretty penny – and we’re sure some most aren’t even aware of the risks.

Whether you’re new in Abu Dhabi or unaware of these fines, it’s something that is worth having a refresher on. After all, many expatriates are currently travelling or have plans to do so before the end of the year.

When the campaign initially launched, its aim was to make the public aware of improving the city’s appearance and safety and keeping the city clean. Over the months, this has unfortunately affected motorists in a negative way, as warnings and fines can be issued for dirty and abandoned cars.

In a municipality statement, it said that it is seeking to “maintain the civilised appearance of cities and remove all distorting elements”, The National reported.

In fact – there was over 500 drivers fined AED 3,000 each between April and July of this year.

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Numerous holiday goers have returned from their holiday in recent times to find their car ‘missing,’ only to discover that it has been impounded with a fine of up to AED 3,000 waiting for them.

Police will issue a warning if your car is excessively dirty.

After this, you have a three day grace period to have your car cleaned. If your car is not cleaned during this period, it will be impounded. Not only will you have to pay the hefty AED 3,000 fine, but also the impounding fees.

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These rules are understandably a headache for some residents as they already need to pay daily or yearly parking fees at their buildings, which doesn’t always even offer them covered parking. Added to this, they have to fork out extra money every month to ensure that their cars are being cleaned regularly to prevent them becoming too dirty.

If you are planning to go on holiday soon, or know that you will be out of town for an extended period of time, make the necessary arrangements to have your car cleaned at least once every 10 days.

Ask a friend to help you, arrange with a cleaning company to go and wash your car or, if it is available, ask the person at your building washing cars to clean your car while you are away. It is better to be on the safe side than come home to a nasty surprise.