Kuwait to revoke driving licences of over 300,000 expat drivers

Dubai: More than 300,000 expat drivers living in Kuwait are expected to have their driving licences revoked very soon, local media reported.

The Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior has formed a committee to cancel driving licenses of expatriates earning less than 600 dinars and lacking a university degree in an effort to combat traffic congestion, Al Jarida newspaper said.

This decision is expected to affect approximately 300,000 drivers and will be implemented retroactively, causing confusion and chaos for the impacted individuals and their employers.

Critics argue that addressing traffic congestion should involve improving roads, constructing bridges and tunnels, enhancing public transportation services, and regulating the taxi sector, rather than resorting to discriminatory measures targeting vulnerable groups. They note that other countries typically do not consider reducing the number of drivers as a solution to traffic problems.

Sheikh Talal Al Khalid, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defence, has tasked the committee with examining the status of expatriate driving licences and reviewing relevant data.

In late 2021, Al Jarida campaigned against a similar decision by the former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lieutenant General Sheikh Faisal Al Nawaf, which sought to withdraw licences from expatriates not meeting specific academic qualifications and job titles. As a result, the unfair trend was halted, but it now appears to be resurfacing with renewed vigour.