Liabilities of Driving in KSA

If those guys are going to be here for only three months, why go through the aggravation of licenses, insurance, etc.? 

Why not just hire a driver? Would solve a lot problems, including them trying to find their way around!

i agree with alliecat...its a great help having local driver coz road signs here are in arabic (major roads have english as well) and the traffic is like driving in GTA.

As long as you are fully insured, there should be no issues, although I have heard more often then not, if you are in an accident with a Saudi, the blame will be placed on the foreigner.

I have been driving here for 4 months now and notched an accident, three of my friends have though. They were in rental cars, that came fully insured, and the rental company took care of it. If you are insured, the biggest hassle you will encounter after being in an accident will be waiting for the traffic police (typically 2 hours or so). You won't be allowed to leave until the traffic police have arrived.

A few points to ponder:

Securing a reliable driver for your employees who speaks English and Arabic would probably be the best solution for a short term assignment like you are describing.

If your employees must drive, make sure you supply them with gps devices that have the GCC map download, as most signs here are in Arabic only.

Most rental cars come with full insurance, some have no deductible, but typically the deductible will be in the 1500 - 2000 SAR range.

It would not be a bad idea to allow your guys to carry around 5,000 SAR in cash, as some minor accidents can be resolved by simply paying the other driver an appropriate amount for the damage to their vehicle, and you both go your separate ways. This can save a large amount of time and headache.

Your guys over here need to have the phone number of someone who speaks good English and fluent Arabic on speed dial. That needs to be the first number they call when they are in an accident, that way the language problem is a non issue, and hopefully the problem can be resolved without the need for police.

If people do not carry insurance and they are in an accident, they will be jailed until restitution is made. It is also important to note that the insurance on the vehicles generally only covers damage to the vehicle, not personal injury. So if the accident causes injury or death, your employees may be responsible for medical bills and possibly even "blood money."

There is an option to insure the individual in addition to the vehicle, which generally will cover personal injury and death.

And finally, it sounds like you are sending your guys over on business visas, not employment visas, which means they will not be allowed to obtain Saudi driver's licenses. I believe a person can drive on their passport for a month after the issuance of the visa, but after that the police may frown on you not having a Saudi license. I am not certain on this point, but it is worth looking into, as it isn't unlikely that they will be stopped at a checkpoint and asked tom prove license and insurance.

Just my thoughts on the matter, and remember, my advice is worth asmmuch asmyou paid for it. Best of luck to you!

TE