E-Scooter Rental Dubai: Lime vs Tier vs Arnab (2026 Cost Comparison)
Tourist asked me yesterday: “Should I rent or just walk?”
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“JBR to Marina Mall. Google says 25 minutes walking.”
“Rent a Lime. 5 minutes. Costs AED 8. Way better than melting in the heat.”
Here’s every rental service in Dubai, what they actually cost, and which ones work vs which are a waste of money.
Quick Comparison: All Dubai E-Scooter Rentals (2026)
| Service | Unlock Fee | Per Minute | Coverage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lime | AED 3 | AED 0.90/min | JBR, Marina, Downtown, Business Bay | ✓ Active |
| Tier | AED 2 | AED 1.20/min | JBR, Marina, Palm, limited Downtown | ✓ Active |
| Arnab | AED 2 | AED 0.80/min | Dubai Hills, Business Bay, limited Marina | ✓ Active |
| Skurtt | AED 3 | AED 1.00/min | Very limited (JLT, Media City only) | ⚠ Limited |
| Careem Bike | – | – | – | ✗ Shut Down |
Careem Bike shut down in late 2024. If you see old guides mentioning Careem, ignore them.
Only Lime, Tier, and Arnab are reliable in 2026. Skurtt exists but barely.
Service #1: Lime (Best Overall)
Lime 🟢
Coverage areas:
- JBR Walk + The Beach (excellent coverage)
- Dubai Marina (full promenade)
- Downtown Dubai (around Dubai Mall, DIFC)
- Business Bay (waterfront areas)
- City Walk
- Jumeirah Beach Road (Kite Beach to Sunset Beach)
What you get:
- Green electric scooters (bright, easy to spot)
- GPS tracking and route planning in app
- Bell and lights included
- Speed: 20 km/h max (RTA compliant)
- Pause rides (stops billing, locks scooter for up to 10 min)
App quality: Best in Dubai. Clean interface. Works reliably. Accepts credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Scooter quality: Well-maintained. Brakes work. Batteries usually above 60%. Rarely find broken ones.
JBR to Marina Mall: 5 min ride = AED 3 + (5 × AED 0.90) = AED 7.50
Kite Beach to La Mer: 8 min ride = AED 3 + (8 × AED 0.90) = AED 10.20
Downtown to Business Bay: 12 min = AED 3 + (12 × AED 0.90) = AED 13.80
- Tourists in JBR/Marina area
- Short point-to-point trips (under 15 min)
- People who value reliability over price
- First-time scooter renters (easiest app)
- Slightly more expensive than Arnab
- Geo-fenced zones (can’t ride everywhere)
- Parking restrictions (must park in designated zones)
- Surge pricing during events (rare but happens)
Service #2: Tier (Second Best)
Tier 🔵
Coverage areas:
- JBR Walk (good coverage)
- Marina Walk (decent coverage)
- Palm Jumeirah (best coverage of any service)
- Downtown (limited, around DIFC only)
What you get:
- Blue/teal scooters (less visible than Lime)
- Swappable batteries (means scooters rarely die mid-ride)
- Phone mount built-in (nice touch)
- Speed: 20 km/h max
- No pause feature (must end ride or keep paying)
App quality: Good. Not as polished as Lime but works fine.
Scooter quality: Mixed. Some are great, some are worn. Check brakes before riding.
JBR to Marina Mall: 5 min = AED 2 + (5 × AED 1.20) = AED 8.00
Marina to Palm Pointe: 15 min = AED 2 + (15 × AED 1.20) = AED 20.00
- Palm Jumeirah trips (only service with good coverage there)
- Very short rides (under 3 min, cheaper unlock fee)
- People who don’t mind checking scooter condition first
- Higher per-minute cost (AED 1.20 vs Lime’s AED 0.90)
- More expensive for rides over 5 minutes
- Less reliable scooter quality
- Smaller coverage area than Lime
Service #3: Arnab (Best Value)
Arnab 🟠
Coverage areas:
- Dubai Hills Estate (best coverage)
- Business Bay (waterfront)
- Marina (limited, fewer scooters than Lime/Tier)
- JBR (very limited)
What you get:
- Orange scooters (Dubai-based company)
- Cheapest per-minute rate
- Speed: 20 km/h max
- Basic but functional
App quality: Okay. Sometimes buggy. Payment works but interface is clunky.
Scooter quality: Hit or miss. Some are well-maintained, others are rough.
Dubai Hills loop: 10 min = AED 2 + (10 × AED 0.80) = AED 10.00
Business Bay waterfront: 8 min = AED 2 + (8 × AED 0.80) = AED 8.40
- Dubai Hills residents (they dominate this area)
- Longer rides (cheapest per-minute rate)
- Budget-conscious riders
- Limited coverage (mostly Dubai Hills)
- App crashes occasionally
- Scooters often low battery (under 40%)
- Fewer scooters available overall
- Customer support is slow
Service #4: Skurtt (Barely Exists)
Skurtt 🟣
Coverage: JLT and Media City only. Nowhere else.
Reality: Basically dead. Few scooters. App works but pointless if you can’t find a scooter.
You live/work in JLT and literally see a Skurtt scooter in front of you. Otherwise use Lime or Arnab.
Cost Comparison: Which Service is Cheapest?
It depends on ride length.
| Ride Duration | Lime Cost | Tier Cost | Arnab Cost | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 minutes | AED 5.70 | AED 5.60 | AED 4.40 | Arnab |
| 5 minutes | AED 7.50 | AED 8.00 | AED 6.00 | Arnab |
| 10 minutes | AED 12.00 | AED 14.00 | AED 10.00 | Arnab |
| 15 minutes | AED 16.50 | AED 20.00 | AED 14.00 | Arnab |
| 20 minutes | AED 21.00 | AED 26.00 | AED 18.00 | Arnab |
Pattern: Arnab is cheapest for ALL ride lengths. But only if scooters are available in your area.
Rental vs. Buying: When Does Ownership Make Sense?
Tourist or resident? Different math.
✓ Rent if you’re:
- Tourist (1-2 weeks in Dubai)
- Occasional rider (1-2 times per month)
- Testing before buying
- Don’t want maintenance hassles
✗ Buy your own if you’re:
- Resident who rides 3+ times per week
- Daily commuter
- Using for 15+ min rides regularly
Daily 10-minute commute on Lime:
AED 12/day × 20 workdays = AED 240/month
After 5 months = AED 1,200 spent on rentals
Buying Xiaomi M365: AED 1,099 one-time
Breakeven = 4.5 months. After that, you’re saving money.
How to Use Rental Scooters (Step-by-Step)
- Download app (Lime, Tier, or Arnab)
- Create account with email/phone
- Add payment method (credit card or Apple/Google Pay)
- Verify phone number (SMS code)
- Upload photo ID if required (Lime asks for this)
- Open map in app to find nearby scooters
- Walk to scooter
- Scan QR code on handlebar
- App unlocks scooter (you’ll hear a beep)
- Kick-start, then accelerate with throttle
- Ride to destination
- Park in allowed zone (app shows where)
- Take photo of parked scooter (app requires this)
- End ride in app
- Payment auto-charges your card
Common Rental Problems (And Fixes)
Problem: “Scooter won’t unlock after scanning”
Fix: Close app completely. Reopen. Scan again. Works 90% of time.
Problem: “App charged me twice”
Fix: Check if you accidentally rented two scooters (happens if you scan wrong one). Contact support in app. Refunds take 3-5 days.
Problem: “Scooter died mid-ride”
Fix: End ride immediately in app. You only pay until scooter dies. Report broken scooter in app (sometimes they credit you).
Problem: “Can’t find parking zone”
Fix: App map shows green zones. Park anywhere within green zone. Take clear photo showing scooter is upright and not blocking path.
Problem: “Got charged parking fine”
Fix: You parked outside allowed zone or blocked pedestrian path. Fine is AED 20-50. Can’t dispute. Just pay and learn from it.
Rental Scooter Rules in Dubai
Yes. Rental scooters require same permit as owned scooters.
Apps ask for permit number during signup. Some verify, some don’t. But if police stop you, they’ll ask.
Fine for no permit: AED 200
- Age limit: 18+ (apps verify with ID)
- One rider only: No passengers (you’ll get fined + banned from app)
- Helmet: Not provided, not required for 18+, but recommended
- Speed limit: 20 km/h (scooters are capped, you can’t go faster)
- Parking: Must park in designated zones (green areas on app map)
- No riding on: Highways, sidewalks (unless marked), mall interiors
Which Service Should You Actually Use?
Quick decision guide:
- You’re in JBR, Marina, or Downtown
- You want reliability over cheapest price
- You’re a first-time renter
- Ride is under 10 minutes
- You’re on Palm Jumeirah
- You need a very short ride (under 3 min)
- Lime scooters aren’t available nearby
- You’re in Dubai Hills
- You’re doing a longer ride (15+ min)
- You want cheapest option and don’t mind hunting for scooters
- You’re in JLT and literally see one in front of you
Tourist Tips: Maximizing Rental Value
- Plan routes: Use Google Maps cycling mode to estimate ride time before renting
- Walk short distances: Under 500m? Walk. Unlock fee makes it not worth it.
- Pause feature: Lime lets you pause for 10 min (stops billing). Use it if making quick stops.
- Check battery: App shows battery % before unlocking. Don’t rent scooters under 30%.
- Ride during off-peak: Early morning (7-9 AM) = more scooters available, no surge pricing
- Download all apps: Sometimes Lime has no scooters but Tier does. Have backup options.
