By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter


The provision of granting a fresh driving licence to those holding licences issued by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has been discontinued in Qatar, Gulf Times has learnt.
The situation has particularly affected hundreds of newly-arrived truck and trailer drivers who could face termination from their employers if they fail to secure a licence in Qatar, a source said.
“These professional drivers, especially the ones who had worked in Saudi Arabia, were hired for some of the major construction projects in Qatar,” the source explained.
They  travel for long hours usually from one border to another (between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for example) to deliver construction materials and heavy equipment.
The long and difficult process of securing a driver’s licence in Qatar has seriously hit companies and their newly-hired drivers.
“These experienced drivers who hold licences which were previously honoured in Qatar are now required to enrol in driving schools and take the tests, but the problem is it takes months before they could get a licence,” the source said.
“If they fail during the first try, they have to wait for two months or more for the next actual road test.”
The source  revealed that one company had hired some 120 drivers from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait two months ago and all of them were yet to clear the licence test.
An Asian driver who had years of driving experience in the Middle East was asked to work as a labourer which was not part of his job.
“Since he gets paid every month, his employer deploys him to the construction site to help other workers,” the source pointed out. “This should not be the case since truck and trailer drivers whom we consider as skilled workers and professionals had signed job contracts which specify their functions in detail.”
Without any assurance of passing the test, others are already mulling to resign and plan to reapply to Saudi and countries where their
driver’s licence is being honoured.
“Both employers and workers are facing a dilemma but the good thing is that the latter, as far as I know, still receive their monthly salary on time,” the source said. “But the question is until when?”
The new regulation has also affected expatriates who shifted to Qatar recently from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and were hoping to get a licence based on the ones they had in these two countries.
The booming construction industry in the Middle East, particularly in some GCC countries, had seen a huge demand for truck and trailer drivers, as well as heavy equipment operators. Those who hold a driver’s licence in the country usually ask for higher offers than first timers.
Sources from driving schools in Qatar recently revealed that securing a driver’s licence in the country had become very difficult for new learners.
The passing rate had been “very low” in the past eight months compared to  the previous years. One driving school recently hired 20 new instructors where only two had passed the actual road test, it is learnt.