Kuwait to vet expats’ driving licences

Cairo: Kuwait has said it will examine licences of all expatriates’ driving licences issued in the past years, Kuwait media reported.

The Interior Ministry’s Relations and Security Department said that any foreign driver found to have obtained the driving licence in violation of the country’s rules will be summoned and the driving licence wil be irreversibly revoked.

Nearly 200,000 driving licences are likely to be withdawn as a result of the revision for foreigners who do not meet requirements for getting the driving licence, according to Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai, citing “well-informed” security sources.

“Opening this file will largely contribute to uncovering the driving licences that were issued unlawfully,” the sources said.

Expatriates in Kuwait hold around 800,000 driving licences, according to the sources.

“Verification of the expatriates’ driving licences will help in one way or another ease traffic snarls on the country’s roads,” they said.

Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s overall population of around 4.6 million.