Buying a Car in Bahrain: A Complete Guide

Expats in Bahrain often buy a car in order to get around as the bus routes are not appealing to many and taxis tend to get expensive. Before deciding where to buy your car from you have to decide on your budget and whether you want to buy a new or used vehicle and what kind of vehicle you want.

To 4x4 or saloon…. So many people have 4x4’s. On the plus side they have a good high driving position, are safe in the ev

ent of a crash, enable you to get to your friend in Barsha even though the road is still a sand trap, and well hey they are a 4x4 so you can go camping in the desert if that floats your boat. On the down side they are big, awkward to park, use a ton of petrol, are slow to stop, and the high driving position can mean you have to be very careful in the school car park.

If you’re going for a regular car and have a bit of extra cash should you go for the WILD option. Let’s face it petrol is crazily cheap and insurance is not too bad so whilst it is not the green option you can use the opportunity to get the type of car you could never get at home…. The oh so cool Ford Mustang, or that little Mercedes two seater, a Corvette the list is endless.

To buy a car in Bahrain you will need to hold a Central Population Registration (CPR) card number which is the national ID card in Bahrain. Therefore you must have a valid resident permit.

Buying a new car

Buying a new car in Bahrain is straight forward. Usally the car dealer will arrange everything from insurance to vehicle registration for you so it is relatively safe and hassle free. You can also finance your new car if you have the cash upfront or get a car loan from your bank.

When buying consider the reputation of the make of car here in Bahrain. This will drastically affect the re-sale value of the car. Cheap but lesser known Korean type cars may look cheap but their reputation is not great and so they depreciate very fast. Some European cars such as Renault, Lancia etc also depreciate very quickly.

The big main companies such as Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Ford, Porsche, tend to hold their value well.

Buying a second hand car

If you do go for secondhand beware of cars which have been imported from abroad – have they been stolen? Are they the correct specification for our roads? Can the dealer maintain it? Unless you are an expert go for a car which was originally sold by the original manufacturer in Bahrain. So that you know it is the correct specification and has not been stolen.

Lastly should you go private or from a dealer…. Have a look at the certified used cars from the big dealers they give a guarantee and generally give you the remainder of the warranty. If you go for other dealers make sure you personally check the car. Finally if you go private, this is the cheapest option but be very careful or take along a “car savvy” person with you.

You will find private cars advertised in the classifieds, online and on notice boards at the local supermarket. This is the cheapest option for buying a car in Bahrain. However be aware that the car may have been involved in an accident or may have a fault so take someone who knows cars to check it out with you. Remember the saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you are buying a second hand car from a dealer make sure that he is a licensed dealer. Also be aware of the dealers who like to fudge the prices of used cars depending on what you look like in order to sell you something for an inflated price. It is a good idea to take a car savvy person along with you just in case.

Here are some reputable car dealers in Bahrain:

Used Car Centre
+973 17 701 333

Carzone Auto Center
+973 77 191 909

Elegant Cars
+973 17 700 773

Al Kobaisi Motors
+973 17 456 222

Al Fajer Car Showroom
+973 17 728 337

Behbehani Brothers
+973 17 701 333

Car Semsar
+973 33 866 046