markhighpeak

Has anyone done, or know if you can drive from the UAE to Jordan, and back again as a non-muslim ? Fancy doing a 2 week round trip.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

TheShed

nottmbantam

If you can get the Saudi Transit visa, then UAE to KSA and then northwards to Jordan would be probably the easiest route. Am planning driving to Jordan ( and beyond ) when I do the Final Exit from KSA.

Loads of guys here in Riyadh drive regularly to Jordan and back. Being non muslim isn't an issue ( unless you insist in driving through Mecca - but that would be a hell of a detour)

Millhouse

Hard to do the drive home with passing through Syria or Iraq

Pulaski

You could always take a ferry to Iran, then go through the Caucasus (E60 through Abkhazia), Crimea, and Ukraine.

HTH

scot47

Iran does not easily give visas to citizens of UK or USA

carcajou

What in the world does Iraq and Syria have to do with anything? The route passes through Saudi Arabia. Every Jordanian in the UAE has done it at some point or another. It is not a short trip and takes two days, stopping somewhere overnight in KSA. Egyptians also pass through, going the other way, though the numbers of them attempting to do so has been greatly reduced by the instability in the Sinai. Many are now choosing to fly back to Egypt and ship their cars.

Nor does being non-Muslim have anything to do with anything. That is only a restriction if you are going to visit Mecca or Medina.

The Saudis offer a seven-day transit visa to go from the UAE to Jordan, but willingness to issue it can be unpredictable. Be aware that the logjam of trucks at Sila can be enormous, and stretch for several kilometres with the associated delays.

If you are looking to do this trip by hire car, forget it. Due to unpredictable Saudi road rules, UAE hire car companies don't allow you to go into KSA. If it's your own vehicle, just make sure your papers are airtight.

scot47

He is taling about drivinbg to Europe from KSA.

carcajou

OP explicitly said UAE to Jordan and back.

Pulaski

Scot47 and I were referencing this detour from the original question:

Brains1983

we intend to drive back when it's time for us to pack up and go. planning via Iran if it's safe when the time comes, or go through KSA/Egypt and then ferry into Turkey. I'm guessing there is a Jordan - Cyprus - Turkey option aswell.

carcajou

Thank you Pulaski / scot47 for the correction.

Simple. Israel-Cyprus-Greece ferries have re-started. You can go by land from Jordan across the West Bank and into Israel. I think the ferry leaves from Haifa.

nottmbantam

The Haifa route is the one we're planning on taking, spoke to an Irish lad who did it list summer from KSA , so it's all do-able. Ferry to mainland Greece and then onwards from there. Current contract runs out end of April, so if it's not renewed, then will probably do the journey in June. If I get another year, then its deffo on for next summer.

I did seriously want to do the Iran Turkey route ( via ferry from Sharjah ) but Iran insists on a tour guide accompanying you at all times, which put me off. Bollocks to that.

jam25mack

Check up on the accuracy of that. Every year scores of Brits take the southern 'route' on the Mongal Rally which passes through Iran and from what I've read few if any have a tour guide.... so there must be ways round it. I'd suggest searching for 'The Adventurists' or 'Mongal Rally' on facebook for groups and ask the question there. There will be scores of folks who can assist you as they've done similar recently.

nottmbantam

All the 'official' documentation I've looked at so far, is pretty consistent. For three nationalities - US, Canadian, UK - every visitor must be accompanied by a tour guide at all times. Spoke to a couple of tour guides, who confirm this was true ( slightly cynical about this). Messaged a few other people on Trip Advisor Forums ( also slightly unreliable ) , but from official advisory government pages , the story seems to be true.
By all accounts, when submitting the visa application, this should be accompanied by itinerary showing the tour guide booked and all that perlava. Just seemed like too much of a ball ache.

Have contacted a shipping company in Israel to go the Haifa route, land border crossing will take a while from Jordan into Israel with a car on Saudi plates, but all possible. The Iran route just seems full of uncertainty.