I have lived in the UAE for only four months, and the one thing I keep hearing from every car person I meet is that I must get film on my car. At the office, at the petrol station, even from the guy who sold me my Kia Sportage. I nodded every time, but I never asked the obvious thing, which is why. Back home nobody puts anything on their paint, so this feels like a strange habit to me. Last weekend I sat down and tried to understand it properly, and I read a page about what paint protection film is and why UAE cars need it. What I took from it is that the film is a clear layer that sits on top of the paint, and that sun, sand, dust and stones on fast roads wear paint down quicker here than in most countries. That made some sense, but I would like to hear from people who live with it every day. Is the sun here really that bad for paint, or is it mostly the stones and sand that cause the damage? Do you notice a real difference between a car with film and one without after two or three summers? I also wonder if it is only worth it for new cars, because mine is already two years old and has a few small chips on the bonnet. Can film be put over chips that are already there, or do they need to be fixed first? Another question is about washing. Do you use a normal car wash, or do you wash by hand to protect the film? And how long does it last before it needs to be changed? If you got film after moving here, please tell me what you paid, what you covered, and if you would do it again. Easy answers help me most.

paintprotectionfilm.ae

What is Paint Protection Film: Everything You Need to Know

What paint protection film is, how it works, the types available and what it protects against, and why it keeps a car looking new for years.