DAMMAM: Car rental companies have imposed new conditions for renting cars to Saudi nationals – including a minimum age and a white list for employees of some companies and government offices. An official at one car-rental company said that a number of problems led to the changes. “The new measures are intended to cut losses from renting cars to people who do not pay what they owe, steal the cars or do not return them,” he said. “Some cars are heavily damaged and some people who damage them try to avoid responsibility so the companies start searching for them.” He said these actions take a toll on the firms. A number of Saudi nationals said setting conditions for renting cars is an injustice to people who have not done anything wrong. “I tried to rent a car two days ago, but they refused to rent me one because they consider me to be jobless, despite the fact that I consider myself a businessman and presented documents proving this,” said Muhammad Al-Khamees. He pointed out that an employee there suggested he rent the car under fraudulent circumstances. “At the end, one of the employees suggested that I rent a car under the name of any resident expatriate I know,” Al-Khamees said. “In fact, I did as he suggested and brought an expatriate and he signed the papers in his name.”
