Job Discussion Forums

[yiskbs]

Hi everyone,
I would like to know whether the International Diving License is recognised in KSA.
I read a number of posts regarding the difficulty of getting a KSA driving license. Perhaps, converting our home license to an international one would solve the problem.

[Bebsi]

Depends on where your original licence was issued, but European, US, Australian and Canadian licences are accepted in KSA for conversion to a KSA licence. Otherwise, you will have to go to "driving school", where lessons are in Arabic only (I believe) and there is no driving practice, just theory lessons and some parking practice.

You can use your home licence for up to 3 months after first arriving in KSA on a work visa. Then you will have to get a Saudi licence. To do so, you MUST have an Iqama.

If on a business visa, just continue using your home licence. You cannot buy a car without a Saudi licence but then, if on a business visa you cannot own a car anyway.

Incidentally, you cannot use an international driving licence in the country where it was purchased. You can use it anywhere else however, but in KSA cannot buy a car on it.

If you have a work visa, and you have a western licence, just convert it.

[Bebsi]

Meant to say, reason they are so strict is that they are determined to ensure that everyone, including westerners, moving to KSA drives at the same exemplary standard as the Saudis themselves. You will see what I mean when you get there, their driving is...as our transatlantic brethren might put it...Awesome!!

Well, I'd use a similar word starting with "Aw..."

[Stephen Jones]

You cab't use the international driving license if you are a resident.

If you have a western license it is easy to convert it to a Saudi one. Just a medical and a lot of paperwork.

[yiskbs]

Thanks for all the info.
I guess I would have to find out whether Singapore's driving license could be converted just like the western licenses. Anyone knows?

[veiledsentiments]

As Bebsi said above, only US, European, Australian and Canadian licenses convert easily. All others must take lessons and a test. This is true in all of the Gulf countries.

VS

[Bebsi]

As far as far as I know, Singapore licence is NOT accepted

The Saudi driving test is a weird one, I believe. You do an oral (NO comments please ) and then they take you out to a car park where you have to sort of swerve between bollards (yeeeeeesssss, without hitting them, that's right), and then park the car, showing you have techical control, i.e. you can use gears and steer the bloody thing. Well, in theory....the way many Saudis "drive", I suspect they fail that simple test and buy a licence. Now that I think of it, my students did once ask "how much licence buy in you country, teeeechr".

See separate thread for similar questions re wife!