By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
What does “limousine” mean in Dubai?
In Dubai the word covers two things. The RTA licenses “luxury” chauffeur vehicles as a category, so a Mercedes S-Class with a driver is a limousine in the legal sense. In everyday speech, a limousine means a stretched car with side-facing seats.
This guide compares the two for a wedding. Our types of limousine guide sets out the wider terms.
Stretch limo: who it suits on a wedding day
A stretch suits the wedding party. Eight to twelve people can ride together, which is hard to do any other way in one vehicle.
- Bridesmaids before the ceremony: one car, one arrival, one set of photos.
- Groomsmen and family: the pickup at the hotel stays in one place.
- The send-off: the couple climb in, the group follows.
Stretch cars come through our partner network, subject to availability. Our list covers Chrysler 300, Lincoln Town Car, Cadillac Escalade and Hummer H2 conversions. See the stretch limousine range.
Luxury sedan or SUV: who it suits
A sedan or SUV suits the couple. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is in Assure’s own fleet. Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach come through partners. A Cadillac Escalade seats 6 and suits a couple plus parents.
The door and seat height matter more than length for a bride in a gown. Read the Rolls-Royce wedding guide for the coach-door detail.
Will a stretch fit the hotel drop-off?
Ask before you assume. A stretched car is much longer than a sedan, and a hotel entrance with a tight turn can force the chauffeur to stop short of the door. The couple then walk further in a long dress.
We do not hold drop-off rules for named hotels. The venue’s events team does. Ask it three things:
- Can a stretched car enter the porte-cochere?
- Where does the car wait during the ceremony?
- Which gate does it use to leave?
Send us the answers and we plan around them.
Comfort in the heat: air conditioning, glass and seating
Summer afternoons in Dubai are hot, and a long cabin has more air to cool. Ask the partner for the age of the car and for a photo of the interior. Older conversions, such as the Hummer H2 and the Lincoln Town Car, are worth checking in person.
Side-facing seats are comfortable for a short ride and awkward in a gown. A sedan with a rear bench gives a bride a more normal seat. Our limousine service page describes how we confirm the car.
A group of friends: stretch, van or two cars?
| Group | Likely fit |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 | Luxury sedan or SUV |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz V-Class |
| 8 to 12 | A stretch limousine, if the date is free |
| 13 to 19 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter |
Above about 12, a van or minibus beats a stretch. Our van and group transport page lists the options. For night-out rules, read party bus or stretch limo in Dubai.
Questions to ask before booking any limousine
- Exact model, year and seat count of the car you will get.
- A photo of the actual car, inside and out.
- The minimum hours and the cost of an extra hour.
- Whether the operator holds an RTA licence for the vehicle.
- A named backup if the car fails.
For an older option, see vintage wedding cars. For the choice overall, read how to choose a wedding car, and then our wedding car hire page and the wedding transport guide. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp at +971 56 684 8148.
Photos in this guide
A white Hummer H2 stretch limousine seen from above as it turns across a city junctionOWS Photography / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
A cream Chrysler 300 stretch limousine parked beside a pink stretch limousineNovoklimov / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
A white Rolls-Royce Phantom and two white Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloons parked at a Dubai beach hotelImre Solt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A white Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine parked at a kerbIFCAR / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
