Is Car Cover Allowed in UAE?
September 14, 2021
Car covers are extremely useful when you have your vehicle parked in open spaces. They save your car from external elements. Whether it is blazing sun of UAE or contaminated rain of the desert or a dust storm that are such a common occurrence in such area, a car cover can shield your vehicle from all that even if it is parked in an open space.
Are Car Covers Allowed in UAE?
Short answer to that is, yes. Car covers are allowed in UAE but there are conditions. Car covers are essential in the hot and dusty weather of UAE as if you work at such a place where you have to park your vehicle in an open space area, you probably want to keep the car away from the extremely hot and dusty weather or potential rain damage. Only way to get this done when your car is parked under the open sky is to cover it with a car cover. So, legally there should not be any problem if you would like to cover your vehicle for short term, keep an eye on the condition of the vehicle, cover on daily basis and keep it clean.
Problem arises with a new trend that is creating problems for UAE government which is people abandoning their vehicles on the streets of UAE when leaving the country or going for vacations. According to the government sources, with the passage of time, those vehicles become a pile of dust themselves and become an eye sore for the clean and well-maintained streets and open parking spaces of UAE. Officials have requested the people abandoning the vehicles un attended for longer periods to either ask a friend or relative to keep the vehicles and their covers clean or risk their vehicle to be confiscated and taken to the municipality compound where you would only be able to claim them back after paying DH500.
Extent of problem of vehicle abandoning is so grave that annually around 1000 to 1400 vehicles are being confiscated every year and after around 400 vehicles claimed back, around 1000 vehicles are auctioned off after a wait of 6 months to be reclaimed.
So, that’s that, car covers are allowed unless they are on an abandoned vehicle on the street or open parking place for a longer period of time. Now, lets see what kind of covers are best for your vehicle available in the market.
Types of Car Covers Available in the Market?
You can categorize car covers in to different segments. Car covers can be differentiated by fitting, material and functions they offer.
As far as fitting is concerned, you can buy universal or custom fit covers.
Universal Covers
Universal car covers are covers designed in approximate shape of the average small, medium and large vehicle to be universal in their use. These covers are cheap to buy and hardly fit any vehicle to perfection. They just loosely cover the vehicle and can draw dust underneath them which can affect the paint of your vehicle as well. These covers are cheap but not recommended.
Ready Fit Covers
Ready fit covers provide better fitting as they are cut to the vehicles shape these covers are cut to the shape such as hatch back, sedan and so on and are available to everyone on short notice.
Custom Fit Car Covers
Those covers are specially made to measure and are stitched specifically according to the shape and measurement of your vehicle. Those covers take account of mirrors, antennas, spoilers, splitters, etc. these covers are perfect fit and do not let the dust in so pose no threat to the paint and indoors these are even more safe. Only downside is that you have to wait for them to be made.
Indoor Covers
Indoor covers are usually custom fit and have no hanging or loose parts. These covers are super light, soft and stretchable and basically stop dust, pollen or other residues to gather upon the vehicle’s body. Use of those indoor covers for out door purposes is not recommended.
Outdoor Car Covers
Outdoor car covers are also called weatherproof car covers and saves the vehicle from water, dirt, UV and impact and typically weigh more and cost more. Make sure that you buy breathable car covers that can stop the rain but let the moisture to evaporate underneath the vehicle.
Car Cover Fabric
There are usually two main types of fabrics that are used for car covers. Cotton fabric covers are used to make covers for indoor use. Since cotton does not have any UV or water repellent properties, these are suitable for indoor use only.
Synthetic fabric is used for outdoor covers as they are useful for providing natural UV and mildew resistance and water repellency. It is actually a safer bet to use the synthetic fabrics for indoor and outdoor both uses.
Some Tips for Car Cover Buyers
If you buy a quality car cover, chances are that you would spend a small fortune. Although you would be provided with the instructions on how to take care of the cover from the manufacturer, here are some important tips about how to take care of your cover.
Try not to machine wash your vehicle cover, never use fabric softeners, never dry them in dryer instead drape them over the car and let them air dry, indoor cover do not require washing, just dry clean them.
Store your car cover when it is dry and fold it in a storage bag. Make sure that you do not let the dust accumulate on the car cover as this can threat the paint of your car. Partfinder UAE Provide quality indoor and outdoor car covers in UAE at extremely affordable prices to keep your vehicles clean and safe and save them from external elements. We have the largest network of parts sellers that covers the whole UAE and they can provide competitive prices with excellent quality. Check our website for latest deals on car accessories in UAE and keep your eyes open for our festive deals for further discounts.