Are you going on holiday in the UAE? If you’re not leaving the country, you may be tempted to skip travel insurance. However, you should still make sure that you are covered for other eventualities. Here’s why you need domestic travel insurance.
Your health insurance will cover health issues
If you fall ill abroad, you need travel insurance to access healthcare. This isn’t the case if you’re staying within the UAE as long as you have adequate UAE medical insurance policy (if you don’t, be sure to check out our health insurance comparison tool and purchase insurance – it’s essential that you have it!).
You may need insurance for stolen luggage
There are virtually zero domestic flights in the UAE (and the few that do exist are very expensive!), so if you are travelling by bus, it may be prudent to take out insurance that covers your possessions. You may also want to cover your possessions for theft from your hotel room. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a travel insurance policy – you could take out separate contents insurance for your luggage.
Don’t forget car insurance
Most people travel around the UAE by car. Whether you are using your own car or a hired vehicle, make sure that you have comprehensive car insurance to cover any breakdowns or accidents.
Travel insurance may cover delays or cancellations
Travel insurance may be useful if you experience any bus delays or cancellations, or any issues with your hotel. However, bus journeys are generally too cheap to warrant taking out insurance for, and hotels normally have their own kind of insurance policies in place. While travel insurance when venturing abroad is always a good idea, in the UAE you may be able to get away with separate insurance policies.
You will likely already have health insurance and car insurance (if you are driving your own vehicle), so you could pay separately to have your luggage insured and make sure that everything is secure at your hotel. This will probably help you save money rather than taking out a comprehensive travel insurance policy.