# Car Transport - Washington D.C. to Dubai



## CDOMonkey (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a company that I should look into regarding shipping my car from Washington D.C., Baltimore, MD or close by to Dubai?

Also I own a Honda Accord 2007 V6 and was wondering if there is a licensed Honda dealer within the region that will be able to service my Accord that was purchased here in the U.S.

Also - any advice on how much service typically runs for an oil change, tire rotations, break service, alignment etc....? Are these services typically more expensive than what I would see in America? 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## HarryK (Aug 31, 2010)

Although I'm based in London UK, I'm due to relocate to Dubai in a few weeks. I work for a US company and the relocation is being managed by a company called Paragon based in Texas, however have offices all over the world. Super friendly and efficient, all I have to do is sign on the dotted line and everything is packed shipped and tracked, delivered and reassembled. I'm not taking my car but the container they have supplied could easily fit one.


----------



## mayotom (Nov 8, 2008)

probably best to sell your car and buy in Dubai..

it will cost a fortune to ship, it will cost a fortune to re-configure for use in Dubai(desert weather), therefore I would suggest taking a look at the cost of buying/renting in Dubai. Dubizzle will give a good idea of the prices


----------



## CDOMonkey (Jan 18, 2011)

mayotom said:


> probably best to sell your car and buy in Dubai..
> 
> it will cost a fortune to ship, it will cost a fortune to re-configure for use in Dubai(desert weather), therefore I would suggest taking a look at the cost of buying/renting in Dubai. Dubizzle will give a good idea of the prices


What would you define as a fortune? Not really wanting to sell the car - it's a graduation gift from my parents so it will either sit in their garage for 2.25 years while im in dubai or I can bring it over and send it back. I'm only going to be in Dubai for about 2.25 years, not a single moment longer given my MBA route in the U.S.

I would figure it's much cheaper just shipping the car both ways than outright buying one and 2.25 years later - selling it.

Reconfigure? What would I have to reconfigure - what's the associate cost with doing so?

Thanks!


----------



## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

the question has been answered multiple times on the forum
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=car+shipping+s...expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/

Apologies for the LMGTFY link, but somehow the google link wasn't working properly. Not that you don't deserve it 

arghhhhhh ... some issue. search for the following on google: "car shipping site:http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/"


----------



## md000 (Dec 16, 2008)

From my colleague's experience, it costs about $2000 (each way) and multiple days of time dealing with customs. In addition, you will probably be charged an import duty (5% here and ?% heading back to the U.S.). Since you are only planning on being here for the short-term, just garage it back home. Buying something here is about the same price in America, but the used market is quite a bit better.

As for servicing. Have you done any research on the UAE? We don't live in shanties in the middle of the empty quarter! Every major car distributor is here with a service center. Just like America, the "licensed service shops" at the dealerships are way more expensive than "Bob and Joe's Car Repair" (or "Mohammed and Abdulrahman's Winding Shoppe" in this instance). 

-md000/mike


----------



## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Hey, Mohammed and Abdulrahman's winding shop did an excellent job on my jalopy!!


----------



## Saint Ari (Oct 1, 2010)

You should get in touch with Canuck_Sens whom recently had his Mazda imported from Canada ....

He should be the best resource regarding this matter ...      

Although ... as what people have mentioned, leave your accord in DC ... if the sentimental value is what matters to you ... you wouldnt wanna drive it in the dubai 130F heat and sandstrom ... the sand woudl definately do something to the paint ... as with the heat to the drivetrain ...

Also, the pre-owned car market in Dubai is more aggressive in terms of pricing compared to the US .... I'm absolutely certain that you'll find something here that would tickle your fancy.

Dubizzle.com would be the Dubai's craigslist (on steroids) ....

Just my $0.02 ... 

Good luck!


----------



## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Listen to Ari....nobody knows cars better than a guy with a Ford


----------



## Saint Ari (Oct 1, 2010)

Pammy ... I thought you're the one with a white "Ford", no? 

At least its not a Ma _ _ _ ... errr ... nevermind .... hahah


----------



## CDOMonkey (Jan 18, 2011)

Saint Ari said:


> You should get in touch with Canuck_Sens whom recently had his Mazda imported from Canada ....
> 
> He should be the best resource regarding this matter ...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'll just take a small loan out and buy a used car from a certified dealer that can provide a warranty. Hopefully I can get something halfway decent  Have to think about resale value now - more than purchase price but makes sense to leave it at home.


----------



## Saint Ari (Oct 1, 2010)

You're quite wise, young skywalker ...


----------



## Mike Morabito (Apr 4, 2011)

HarryK said:


> Although I'm based in London UK, I'm due to relocate to Dubai in a few weeks. I work for a US company and the relocation is being managed by a company called Paragon based in Texas, however have offices all over the world. Super friendly and efficient, all I have to do is sign on the dotted line and everything is packed shipped and tracked, delivered and reassembled. I'm not taking my car but the container they have supplied could easily fit one.



HarryK, Thanks for the positive comment about Paragon Relocation. We strive to provide excellent service to each of our customers around the world. So thank you again! 


This is my first post here, so Hello everyone! I work for Paragon Relocation and have spent some time working in the Consulting department of the company over the last couple of years designing relocation policies for our clients. Here is our Best Practices approach to moving internationally related to shipping cars.

In this instance we would typically recommend that the car be stored in the home country rather than shipped because of customs costs, the costs of shipping the car, and any charges that relate to converting the car to local environmental or mechanical/automotive standards that reside in the host country. These costs can be significant and are typically not covered in international relocation policies. 

Therefore, what I would recommend is that the car be stored at a family member's or friend's home (if possible) during the 2.25 years you are on assignment. In an ideal situation someone would occasionally drive the car during this time to help prevent the car's internal parts from corroding for not being used over that time. Otherwise, if it can't be stored at a friend's/family's home I would recommend looking up information on how to store a car so that it will not corrode from nonuse over a couple of years. 

Finally, I would check your relocation policy and or with your HR department to see if your policy includes reimbursement of transportation costs. This may include covering a lease on a car while you are in your host location or some other option rather than having to buy or lease a car. 

I hope your move to Dubai is great! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with. 

Thanks!


----------

