Dubai is the Gulf's trading hub for American cars, and Jebel Ali receives a steady flow of them, many bought at Copart and IAAI. The duty is low. What decides whether the car is a good buy is what happened to it in America, and that is in the VIN record, not the UAE one.
Some import guides say salvage-titled cars cannot be registered in the UAE, others that they can after inspection, and others that the answer depends on the emirate. The same is true of age limits. Ask Dubai Customs and the RTA, or your emirate's licensing authority, before you bid on a salvage lot. Whatever the answer, know the title brand before the car is shipped.
A US-spec car was built for American conditions and sold with an American history. When it is repaired after an auction, the paint, airbags and wiring can look right while the frame, the flood line or the odometer tell another story. The auction photos show the car before the repair, which is what the seller in Dubai will not show you.
Clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood, junk. Issued by a US state, invisible in every European registry.
How it is checkedCopart and IAAI intake photos, damage codes and sale price, from every sale the car went through, not only the current lot.
How it is checkedReadings at US titles, registrations and inspections in date order. A reading below an earlier one is a rollback.
How it is checkedCustoms duty of 5% of the CIF value plus 5% VAT, then port inspection and RTA registration fees. Confirm the current amounts with Dubai Customs and the RTA.
Published guides disagree. Ask Dubai Customs and the RTA before you buy, and check the title brand by VIN so you know what you are asking about.
No. It covers the US and Canadian history: titles, auctions with photos, accidents, theft and mileage.
Enter the VIN to see which US and Canadian records exist. The preview is free; the report is $19.99, once.