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Automotive

Rectangular Car Plates Just for Kuwaitis?

A reader emailed me complaining about a new rule he recently found out from his dealer. The reader had purchased an Audi and the dealer had installed the regular square plates on the front. The problem was his car had a radar in the front grill for collision warning, and the square plate started interfering with it. So he took the car back to the dealer and asked them to install the rectangular “Euro” plates on the car but the dealer told him couldn’t get those plates because he was an expat.

According to the Audi dealer, the rectangular car plates are now only being installed on cars registered to Kuwaiti citizens and as an expat, he wouldn’t be able to get them. I told him it was probably BS, that the dealer messed up and was coming up with random excuses but the dealer showed my reader five other cars that were ready for collection, three were for expats and had square plates while two were for Kuwaitis and had the rectangular plates.

If this is a new rule then I think it’s an incredibly stupid one. Has anybody else faced this issue?

88 replies on “Rectangular Car Plates Just for Kuwaitis?”

A colleague of mine bought a brand new Volvo last month and he was told the same. Square plates for expats.

not stupid, racist ,

probably some individual made that decision I would find it extremely hard to believe that govt would be so petty or ignorant so as to interfere in license plates.

“I would find it extremely hard to believe that govt would be so petty or ignorant”

Erm, have you looked around lately?

Well it happened to me in Honda, I recently purchased a car and requested a Euro plate and they said that is only issued for Kuwaitis.

It is actually true. It is not a new rule, it has been there ever since they started issuing the plates. I had to transfer my car to my Saudi friend in order to get the Euro plates installed on my car. It is a stupid rule just like the rule of driving pick-up trucks.

Its just another stupid, vaguely racist decision we have to deal with. I mean c’mon……we cant buy pick ups because we’re not Kuwaiti. We cant get a maid because we’re not kuwaiti without going through a whole bunch of procedures (and dealing with some idiot who asks you “why do you need a maid if your wife doesnt work?” and about a million other small, sometimes trivial rules/laws that suck…..

I just bought a honda from alghanim and they told me the same thing sqaure plates are for expats and the reqtanguler ones are for the Kuwaitis.

Honda is not a euro car so wheather ur Kuwaiti or not it will still get the square plates except for wasta that would b a different story

They told me that it started only 2 month ago, sucks having a collision system which doesn’t work, moreover square plate on a rectangular frame, The whole care looks awkward!

This is how they brand cattle (aka expats).

I’m wondering if there is a legal case to be made here. If a license plate is interfering with a car’s safety system, surely a judge could rule that such a decision does more harm than good… Anyway, I’m sure this decision was just made by one individual who thought it was a fabulous idea and had the wherewithal to push it through. I think we forget that Kuwait is actually a country with laws, regulations, and procedures, though it hardly functions in that way sometimes. Someone should challenge this law. I can’t see any good reason for it aside from allowing police officers to easily identify and pull over expats.

Here’s the deal… (for everyone with affected collision warning system) Anyone could try this if the plates affect your car, except if it’s for cosmetic and appearance, don’t try it.

Go to the Audi/your car dealer and put up a written complain saying “the vital collision SAFETY system doesn’t work”. If you have a indication on the dash even better. So make sure this is in print.

Tell them that they (dealer) are going to be responsible in the event of a life threatening situation. This should be a short letter addressed to the GM Service / Sales / Customer Service at Audi or your dealer.

Dealer/they may reply, it’s because of the Govt. number plates. Tell them it’s not your issue and you need a car which you ordered for with a functional “SAFETY” system, else you will seek legal opinion.

Now ask the dealer in the interim to give it to you in writing (black and white print) that the SAFETY system does not work because of the Govt. issued number plate.

Now take that letter and go to the Top Cop / officer or Mudeer’aam at the Motor Traffic Dept. and let them inspect your car for this SAFETY related issue.

They ideally will issue a directive to change the plates because it endangers HUMAN LIFE.

Cheers, hope it works. Do let us know.

Worth a try because it’s your life anyway.

this has to be the funniest comment ever posted to this site… goodness gracious… I have never been so quick to whole-heartedly agree with a stranger on the Internet in my life

It’s actually an easy process.

I have seen how these systems work and it’s amazing the way they do. I would go through it if I had put in my mind and money on a car that has the Collision Warning System which might quite a high percentage of your car value. It’s a life saver at the end of the day. Why should a sheet of metal with numbers get on the way 🙂

this is particularly good advice… might be a process but sounds like the right move to make for sure

Next step will be to put a yellow star on each expat, ban them from certain places which will be only for kuwaitis and so on…

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏾

I just bought a Hyundai and I was told the same by the dealer, square plates are for expats and the rectangular ones are for the Kuwaitis

Nice to see Kuwait following the lead of a regime from here in the region that also issues separate license plates for certain individuals of a particular race. What is Kuwait coming to?

S.H. probably complained at the traffic department.

“I was driving the other day and this idiot cut me off. I rolled down my window and screamed; IF YOU CAN’T DRIVE IN MY COUNTRY, LEAVE!!. But he was Kuwaiti and I was embarrassed and confused. Could we do something about this? – I need to be able to pinpoint expats on the road so I can scream accordingly”

No, not fail, Euro plates are called Euro plates for a reason. Some cars are made to fit long rectangular plates, some are meant to fit square plates, thats why there are two versions.

I ment that the rule is a fail as now a Kuwaiti cannot get his distinguished Euro plate when he buys an American car that can only be fitted with a square plate? Or he will have to settle for a square plate that will make him/her look like an expat. 🙂

As is common in this geography, this decision is taken with below par thinking going behind it….

In addition to having separate registration plates for expats, they should have decided to have triangle or some other shape for South Asian Expats…

But when was the last time a full proof decision was taken by the authorities here….

While I’m completely against this incredible BS to begin with. But they could of atleast segregated the two factions in a smarter way, like having a small colored stripe on the side of expat plates (be it square or rectangle), that way people won’t suffer from inconveniences like your Friend with his anti collision warning.

Either way this is very embarrassing, what the hell were they thinking?!

Easy there with the sarcasm dude, lets not ignore the part where I said I’m against this to begin with! 😀

This news is the final straw, I’m getting out of here after my family lived here for 70 damn years… Imma leave.

Several of our friends wait till Ramadan to get new cars cause the offers are pretty good. One got a BMW X5 and the other got a Mercedes, the both have euro plates and are expats. Mark don’t you know anyone who could find out? Cause of you think about it literally nothing will be gained by this segregation, different segregation methods had some benefits to Kuwaitis but with this they get nothing. Could it just be an excuse?

That’s what I thought when I posted this but now reading all the comments on similar cases it doesn’t look like an excuse. Could be they’re running out of Euro plates and so are just giving it to Kuwaitis as priority until they get a restock.

Kuwaitis can be barbaric when not given what they want, especially the haylag population so they might have done what they did for that reason??? But I doubt that they would have short supply of number aplates, it sounds ridiculous because they have a manufacturing plant. If they did do this on purpose then two things should have happened 1. An official announcement which didn’t happen and 2. Our friends shouldn’t have have the euro plates which they did.

Most likely the case, I remember when I bought my car they refused to give me Euro plates unless I had wasta. This was back in 2014 and I’m Kuwaiti

Here’s the deal… (for everyone with affected collision warning system) Anyone could try this if the plates affect your car, except if it’s for cosmetic and appearance, don’t try it.

Go to the your car dealer and put up a written complain saying “the vital collision SAFETY system doesn’t work”. If you have a indication on the dash even better. So make sure this is in print.

Tell them that they (dealer) are going to be responsible in the event of a life threatening situation. This should be a short letter addressed to the GM Service / Sales / Customer Service at Audi or your dealer.

Dealer/they may reply, it’s because of the Govt. number plates. Tell them it’s not your issue and you need a car which you ordered for with a functional “SAFETY” system, else you will seek legal opinion.

Now ask the dealer in the interim to give it to you in writing (black and white print) that the SAFETY system does not work because of the Govt. issued number plate.

Now take that letter and go to the Top Cop / officer or Mudeer’aam at the Motor Traffic Dept. and let them inspect your car for this SAFETY related issue.

They ideally will issue a directive to change the plates because it endangers HUMAN LIFE.

Cheers, hope it works. Do let us know.

Worth a try because it’s your life anyway.

Though the idea is plausible.

1. The letter has to be written in arabic
2. You need to know arabic or get someone to translate the conversation
3. It’s not going to work out because its the govt law that supersedes the car functionality

are you saying govt law supersedes human safety. doesn’t the law sound unconstitutional when it infringes the safety of a human being? and therefore, must be either amended or revoked.

Do these people sit around in dwaniya and come up with these rules? Like, ‘hey bu Talal, what anti expat rule did you think of today?’ and then they agree, whatsapp Safaa al-Hashem and boom! there’s a new rule no one knows about.

So freaking accurate I was going to say the EXACT same thi g I blame Safa Al Hashem….more like Safa Al Trump.I’m surprised she doesn’t suggest to move all the expats to specific cities and then build a wall.

Rules in Kuwait can be re-written or changed faster then they were written. A nice logical explanation to the Motor Traffic Dept. and it can be done at an higher level by the dealers and it benefits everyone. I’m sure no one knows it yet that it can actually affect a safety system. I’m sure no one has approached the authorities yet.

Amazing. Simply amazing! Euro plates for Kuwaitis only. Pick up trucks for Kuwaitis only. Iced coffees for Kuwaitis only. Hot meals for Kuwaitis only. Sick? Sorry for you, hospital is for Kuwaitis only.

Expat zones and Kuwaiti only zones coming soon. =)

Well I bought a new Mercedes and the sales man told me the same BS about giving me a small square plate but I said if I don’t get the long rectangle plate I will cancel my purchase. I did become a pain for them and they managed it and got me a long rectanglular plate.

Hi everyone

Am a foreigner and I just bought new Audi 2018 A8 form AlGhanim , they gave me rectangle plate, I really wonder if this true !!

I’m Kuwaiti and the comments are FUNNY but I can see that u lived in Kuwait for a while cause u complain ALOT Ist ALOT

I wonder why? I bet it has nothing to do with the BS rules being issued which mainly makes us feels targeted.

I think we just like to nag, such as that guy who paid $$$$ for an Audi which its collision system doesnt even work.

I don’t mind if they make lanes/roads for themselves, so they can drive as arrogant and crazy as they like and kill each other.

So freaking accurate I was going to say the EXACT same thi g I blame Safa Al Hashem….more like Safa Al Trump.I’m surprised she doesn’t suggest to move all the expats to specific cities and then build a wall.

Next car I buy, I’m going to do it in my Kuwaiti friend’s name, and then a week later transfer it. It’s only KD12 and a couple of hours to transfer.

Loophole found and utilized.

I really don’t understand how expats stand it here, I would of picked up and left long ago. I apologize on behalf of Kuwait. You know, the Kuwait from the 1980s and part of the 1990s. I wish we could go back.

A while ago they were out of the rectangular plates, they probably got a small quantity and decided to give it to Kuwaitis only for the time being. Stupid but not at all surprising considering everything else we’ve seen from our great government.

On a different note, aren’t all US plates square? How does it work over there, anyone know?

I bought many Cars in 2017 each got different style. Lexus LX got the Euro plates and GSF got the square ones Porsche got the Euro’s and the Ford pick up got the square so it depends and when I got the square on my gsf I aked them why I didnt get the euro plates? they said that they are not available at the moment so it depends on availability and car license plate bracket. If I was the guy with the Audi I would shift the plate few cm away from the sensor and enjoy my car in the end its just a plate and I would be more happy without them

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