Consumers look set to be the big winners - and smaller rental firms the potential losers - after Amazon announced it was entering the UAE’s car rental market.
The e-commerce company said vehicles would be available from its Home Services platform in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah for as little as Dh44 per day.
Amazon said existing car rental firms could use its website to connect with customers.
Industry experts said they expected the move would lead to a drop in car rental prices across the country, to the benefit of consumers.
In the long term, it's only going to drive prices down so low that many companies won't be able to compete
“It is a great opportunity for smaller companies who do not have a strong online presence to get connected to new customers,” said Pulkit Ganjoo, co-founder of Invygo.
“However, other firms that already have a strong presence will need to ask themselves why would they do this and what will they get out of it?
“In the long term, it’s only going to drive prices down so low that many companies won’t be able to compete and will end up going out of business.”
Amazon is advertising a Kia Picanto, or similar hatchbacks, online for Dh74 per day or Dh1,322 per month.
A Nissan Sunny, or a similar sedan, can be rented for Dh84 per day or Dh1,416 per month on the site. Those offers were in conjunction with Dubai-based rental company eZhire.
On eZhire’s website, it offers a Kia Picanto for Dh99 a day or Dh1,399 per month. A Nissan Sunny can be obtained for Dh119 daily or Dh1,599 for a month.
Similar cars are available on other car rental sites. A Nissan Sunny on Selfdrive.ae is available for Dh999 per month and a Kia Picanto is Dh1,135 per m
Mr Ganjoo said Amazon's new offering could have the same impact as Uber’s arrival on New York’s famous yellow taxis.
In 2012 there was an average of almost 500,000 yellow cab rides per day in the Big Apple. That figure fell to close to 230,000 in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, after the arrival of ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Under the terms of Amazon’s new offering, which includes free delivery and pick-up by the service providers, customers need not pay a deposit.
It is not clear whether rental agencies who do opt to work with Amazon will drop their deposits to keep up with the competition.
Soham Shah, founder of Dubai car hire company Selfdrive.ae, was upbeat about the news.
He said the industry will be "lifted" by the arrival of the world's biggest online retailer.
“Every player in this market is going to be happy at this news,” he said.
“This is going to lift up the entire industry. From the bigger companies to the mom and pop stores, everyone is getting a lot more exposure."
A representative of ride-sharing app Careem said the announcement by Amazon was welcome and another example of how the transport market in the UAE was evolving.
“When people in our region think about mobility, many of them think about Careem first and we’re constantly looking for new ways to simplify people’s lives,” the representative said.
“We think the car rental sector is a really interesting one ripe for technology to change the conventional model and provide customers a better experience.”
Amine Mamlouk, general manager at Amazon Middle East and North Africa, said rentals were the natural next step in its 'Amazon Home Services' rollout.
“Within a couple of steps and a short three-hour wait time, customers can have the car of their choice delivered directly to their doorstep, all from the comfort of their own home," he said.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
India cancels school-leaving examinations
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
more from Janine di Giovanni
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Company%20Profile
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Inside%20Out%202
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