How to get Saudi drivers license - All you need to know about

Thanks for the write-up asif.irfan. However, many people have already written posts on their experience about getting the drv license.

Though there are already 2 articles on the subject, I suggest you too add it in the 'Guides' section here: https://www.expat.com/en/guide/middle-e … cence.html

Thanks for sharing your experiance with us..

Regards,

AK

asif.irfan wrote:

I am sharing my personal experience. I already had my home country license and went through following process in Riyadh.

Driving license
Photocopy of:
Iqama
Passport
Your home country license e.g. Pakistani License
4 Photos

Attach Arabic form..SR 35
Attach Arabic translation of PK license.. SR. 50
Blood test SR. 50
Eye test SR. 50

Then reception no. 1. Get stamped and goto yard to test drive. Come back and at reception 2, pay SR. 100 and get a date for theory And road test same day test after 2 weeks approx.

At the test day, there will be a theory class in Arabic last part in English in room#2. Pay attention in class. You will be given clear hints how to choose correct answers.

After an hour class go to room #4 sit and wait for your name to be called.
When called, go to room#3 for test.

Once pass, go to ground for driving test. Sit and wait in lounge until your name is called. Last driving test.

Once passed. Go to reception#1 area sit in front of director school office where your name will be called to collect your green file. Go to opposite hall collect a token and go to main gate and pay for license in room #2 and come back where you took the token. By then your number should come. Give your green file and sit. Wait till your name is called. This time you go to window and collect your license. I got mine for ten years!

P.S. My sponsor is in Khobar but I did all process in Riyadh. So it's possible and no big deal. Also you do not need any sponsor letter to obtain Saudi drivers license.

Hi ! What If you have no license at all ?

Michael

If you have no licence and have never driven before maybe unless you need to have it for transport for work Saudi is not the best place to start! The standards of driving here are very poor and unless you keep your Witts about you your going to end up in trouble.

Any way if you do go ahead there is a driving school near the Northern Ring Road and Takhassusi Street called  B. Dallah Driving School   I can't vouch for the training but it was were I got my Saudi licence.

If you google the name you will find it.

There is a thread on the site with regards to a guy having lessons I can't find it on my iPhone but if you have a look on the site from a pc and you will find it I am sure :-)

Martin Fin wrote:

Michael

If you have no licence and have never driven before maybe unless you need to have it for transport for work Saudi is not the best place to start! The standards of driving here are very poor and unless you keep your Witts about you your going to end up in trouble.

Any way if you do go ahead there is a driving school near the Northern Ring Road and Takhassusi Street called  B. Dallah Driving School   I can't vouch for the training but it was were I got my Saudi licence.

If you google the name you will find it.

There is a thread on the site with regards to a guy having lessons I can't find it on my iPhone but if you have a look on the site from a pc and you will find it I am sure :-)

Thanks Martin. I have a license but I lost it in France :-(

Go online at the www.gateway.gov.uk and get a replacement it only takes 5-10 days and to get a Saudi licence if you have a UK one only takes about 2 hours. Replacement UK licence at £20 is much cheaper than having to go through the pain of lessons and test here. Online you don't even have to send a picture it's all linked to your passport photo as well.

Martin Fin wrote:

Go online at the www.gateway.gov.uk and get a replacement it only takes 5-10 days and to get a Saudi licence if you have a UK one only takes about 2 hours. Replacement UK licence at £20 is much cheaper than having to go through the pain of lessons and test here. Online you don't even have to send a picture it's all linked to your passport photo as well.

It's a French one - I will check with them :-)

michaelpakenham wrote:

Martin Fin wrote:

Michael

If you have no licence and have never driven before maybe unless you need to have it for transport for work Saudi is not the best place to start! The standards of driving here are very poor and unless you keep your Witts about you your going to end up in trouble.

Any way if you do go ahead there is a driving school near the Northern Ring Road and Takhassusi Street called  B. Dallah Driving School   I can't vouch for the training but it was were I got my Saudi licence.

If you google the name you will find it.

There is a thread on the site with regards to a guy having lessons I can't find it on my iPhone but if you have a look on the site from a pc and you will find it I am sure :-)

Thanks Martin. I have a license but I lost it in France :-(

Got it! Thanks !

The French take your UK licence off you don't they. I had the same in Switzerland however I got a duplicate licence by "losing" my old UK one at the time of having to surrender my UK licence. It was still the old paper ones then it is the one I have now I didn't then have to do anything with the Swiss one when I left there.  In Thailand I just drove on an IDP for two years. Not allowed here after you get an Iqama you have 3 months to get a Saudi licence but you get to keep your UK one to very handy as your Saudi one is valid for either 5 or 10 years depending on how much you pay for it.

the license process in saudi is very simple but i dont know why horrible picture is portrayed.
same happened with me at one time i was too afraid that i was willing to pay 2000 sar just to get it done by someone (and they all are cheats)
then i went myself and it was really simple. All you goota do is (i) learn the chart they give you for trafic signs - on youtube someone has uplaoded the exam questions mostly (ii) know how to drive and dont get confused

Just to confirm, can I just do the Saudi license if I don't have a UK license?  Just do the training over here?

You can do that!

AOA I am from pakistan I dont have a license from Pakistan but I do have a Driving License from Australia which is now in expired state ( was valid up till Sept 2009 ) .Will it would be any helpful for getting a Saudi Driving License.???/

Umair,

You need to have a valid driving Licence in order to get Saudi Driving Licence easily else you have to go through the whole procedure...

I'm sorry if I wasn't able to read all the replies.
One quick question... what if I don't have license from my home country and I want to get a Saudi license, how do I go about it?
will it be the same procedure, however I will just have to undergo training?

OK. just found the answer to my question. cheers!

Martin Fin wrote:

Michael

If you have no licence and have never driven before maybe unless you need to have it for transport for work Saudi is not the best place to start! The standards of driving here are very poor and unless you keep your Witts about you your going to end up in trouble.

Any way if you do go ahead there is a driving school near the Northern Ring Road and Takhassusi Street called  B. Dallah Driving School   I can't vouch for the training but it was were I got my Saudi licence.

If you google the name you will find it.

There is a thread on the site with regards to a guy having lessons I can't find it on my iPhone but if you have a look on the site from a pc and you will find it I am sure :-)

Russsty wrote:

Just to confirm, can I just do the Saudi license if I don't have a UK license?  Just do the training over here?

Just look to the drivers here and their behavior - and you will understand that you don't need any license nor any training to drive here.
Here is the only one traffic rule - don't be a female, and traffic police will not bother you.

Will international driving licence (translated copy) works instead of domestic driving licence to get the saudi driving licence ?

Thanks

international driving licence from Pakistan and its translation will work to skip the classes else how much time it take for classes ?

Thanks

I just came to Saudi & dont have a home country DL. I am staying at Al Malaz. Is there any driving school nearby. Coz Dallah is too far & it will be a big expense if trvelled by taxi everyday for the classes. Is it possible that I apply for a automatic light vehicle license instead of Geared light vehicle license.

skhan_be wrote:

Is it possible that I apply for a automatic light vehicle license instead of Geared light vehicle license.

Unfortunately No, The process is the same for the AT or MT vehicle !!

saimans wrote:

skhan_be wrote:

Is it possible that I apply for a automatic light vehicle license instead of Geared light vehicle license.

Unfortunately No, The process is the same for the AT or MT vehicle !!

Thank you so much saimans for ur guidence.