Driving schools in Abu Dhabi help you learn or improve driving skills in order to clear your driving test. In Abu Dhabi, the Emirate Driving Company (EDC) is the government authorised driving school that is preferred by most people. However, there are other driving schools as well that provide extra training if someone needs it without going for the entire EDC course. This guide covers all the important information about EDC and other driving schools in Abu Dhabi to help you understand your options.
Documents required for driving school registration in Abu Dhabi
Before you select any of the driving schools in Abu Dhabi, make sure you have the following documents traffic file:
- Copy and original emirates ID card
- Copy of passport and residence visa page
- Eye test report
- 2 photographs
- No objection letter from the sponsor (if required by the related traffic department)
Emirates Driving Company (EDC)
Emirates Driving Company (EDC) was established in 2000. It is the first institute for drivers training and road safety in Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi partially owns the institute, which gives it the status of the only authorised institute to issue driver’s licence in Abu Dhabi. EDC, in cooperation with the Swedish Road Authority (SWEROAD), implements the best practices pertaining to drivers training and road safety education.
Driving licence for different vehicles
The Emirates Driving School, Abu Dhabi provides driving courses for the following four types of vehicles:
- Motorcycle
- Light Vehicle
- Heavy Vehicle
- Heavy Bus
The Emirates Driving School, Abu Dhabi has driving courses that cover all the essential theoretical topics. These topics include road markings, traffic rules, road, road signs, driving behaviour, road manners and driving speed limits. The institute also teaches about how to deal with critical situations, driving under challenging conditions, the physics of a car crash and passenger safety.
Moreover, topics such as fire prevention, ECO-driving and managing emergencies etc. are also covered in courses for heavy vehicles.
EDC Driving classes
The Emirates Driving Company (EDC) courses have two parts: theory and practical classes. To start practical sessions, you must first complete eight theory classes, take a theory test and pass it.
After clearing the theory test, you start your practical training sessions with an instructor. These sessions can be of two types:
- If you are a beginner, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of training before the final road test
- If you have prior experience and are an intermediate level driver, 10 to 20 hours of practice lessons are sufficient
However, the number of hours may also vary depending on the type of vehicle. During the course you will be taught on how to drive well. To this end, also check these tips to get over road fear.
Driving Licence Course and Training at EDC
EDC offers a variety of courses for different types of vehicles. Here is a quick overview of their courses:
Light Vehicle Courses
There are two kinds of tests and therefore, two types of classes for light vehicles. These are theory classes and practical classes. Theory classes further have two categories based on whether you hold a licence for driving other vehicles such as bus or a heavy vehicle or not. Meanwhile, the type of practical training depends on your previous driving experience.
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Theory Classes
Here is a breakdown of category one course, suitable for people who do not hold a driving licence:
Level | Course Duration | Classes | Classes per day | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Course Duration 4 days | Classes 8 | Classes per day 2 | Fee AED 830 |
| Intensive | Course Duration 2 days | Classes 8 | Classes per day 4 | Fee AED 1050 |
| VIP Silver | Course Duration 1 day | Classes 2 | Classes per day 2 | Fee AED 200 |
As for the second category, where the student holds a licence for some other vehicle, only 1 class is required and the fee is AED 200.
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Practical Classes
The practical classes have three levels: beginners, intermediate and upper-intermediate.
- Beginner is for the students without a driving licence
- Intermediate is for people who have a licence from another country with an experience of 1 to 5 years
- Upper intermediate level is for students with 5 or more years of driving experience with a licence.
Furthermore, EDC offers different training levels for it such as regular, intensive and VIP silver. The latter two are more expensive than the former and requires less time. The details for regular training is given below:
Level | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Course Duration 16 days | Total Classes 19 | Classes per day 1 or 2 | Fees AED 2705 |
| Intermediate | Course Duration 13 days | Total Classes 15 | Classes per day 1 or 2 | Fees AED 2145 |
| Upper Intermediate | Course Duration 10 days | Total Classes 12 | Classes per day 1 or 2 | Fees AED 1755 |
HEAVY VEHICLE COURSES
There are two types of heavy vehicle courses available at EDC. Category one is for students who have never attended any theory classes or passed any driving test at EDC while category two is for pupils who have attended theory classes and have a theory certificate.
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category One
Class Type | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | Course Duration 8 days | Total Classes 15 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 1400 |
| Practical | Course Duration 22 days | Total Classes 44 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 5050 |
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category Two
Class Type | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | Course Duration 4 days | Total Classes 8 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 770 |
| Practical | Course Duration 22 days | Total Classes 44 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 4850 |
The above details are for regular classes. As for the other courses, this is also available in shorter, more expensive packages called Intensive and VIP Silver.
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Heavy bus courses
These courses are also divided into two categories based on whether the students have attended and passed a theory test before or not.
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category One
Class Type | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | Course Duration 7 days | Total Classes 13 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 1220 |
| Practical | Course Duration 21 days | Total Classes 42 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 4650 |
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category Two
Class Type | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | Course Duration 3 days | Total Classes 6 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 590 |
| Practical | Course Duration 21 days | Total Classes 42 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 4650 |
VIP Silver and Intensive packages are available.
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Motorcycle Courses
For getting a motorcycle-driving certificate, you must attend and pass its theory and practical classes and tests. The classes are also divided into two categories. Category 1 is for the novice without any driving certificates and category 2 for students previously holding a licence certificate from EDC.
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category One
Class Type | Course Duration | Total Classes | Classes per day | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | Course Duration 7 days | Total Classes 13 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 860 |
| Practical | Course Duration 13 days | Total Classes 26 | Classes per day 2 | Fees AED 1870 |
Course Outline and Fee Structure for Category Two