Kuwait cancels driving licenses of 1,000 expats in last 40 days

Kuwait: Kuwait’s General Directorate of Traffic revealed that the driving licenses of around 1,000 expatriates were cancelled in 40 days after they were found to have violated the conditions on which they were granted, local media reported.

The license was cancelled due to a change in work permit or a change of residency to another field of employment, as a result, they no longer meet one of the requirements, either related to work profession or salary.

According to the Arabic daily Al-Rai, the decision comes following the instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled to check the license files of expatriate drivers. Actions were taken as a part of this. 

The traffic department patrol teams have been given the green light to arrest expatriates who were driving after their license was revoked and refer them to deportation for violating the country’s law.

As a general rule, an expat cannot drive a vehicle in Kuwait without a driver’s license and is not entitled to drive with a revoked driver’s license.

In October, the General Directorate of Traffic announced that about 3,000 expat driving licences were revoked in one week due to violation of conditions on which they were granted.