According to the MOI, a new law will soon be implemented where expatriates in Kuwait will no longer be allowed to own more than one vehicle (source). Thats so ridiculous! I’m trying to understand what issue they’re trying to solve by doing that. It can’t be reducing traffic since even though I own 7 cars I can only drive 1 of them at a time. The only thing I can think of is solving the parking situation in densely populated areas.
I live in Salmiya and I’m lucky my building has plenty of underground parking, but most of the other tall residential towers have like 6 or 8 parking spots under the building and thats it. A lot of the buildings which have underground parking had them converted to storage which they rent out commercially. Instead of disallowing that, or requiring buildings to have enough parking for every resident, the easiest solution is just ban expats from owning more than a car. How many expats own multiple cars anyway? I’d assume most are probably just dad’s the have their wives and kids cars registered under their own name.
Thanks Del
45 replies on “Expats Will Only Be Allowed to Own One Car”
When I read the news, the only person that came to my mind is you; because you are the only expat I know who has more than 1 car.
I mean, there are others who have 2 cars, but the 2nd car is for the wife.
I’m kuwaiti and I think this is the dumbest new rule to come out in a while. If anything they should improve the public transportation here (a/c bus stops), more overpass crosswalk, separate highway lanes for buses, increase petrol prices for everyone not just expats just to name a few.
The reason is to address the issue of expats that make money out of buying and selling used cars and having more than 10 cars under their name or have multiple cars and rent it out to others etc. but as usual the Kuwait government solves this issue by effecting the entire population and not just the minority who actually do this.
As an expat i own 2 cars one for work and a sports car for the weekend, and im not sure what will i do when this gets implemented.
250 KD for the sports car, non-negotiable.
Why is it an issue if expats make money out of buying and selling used cars?
A big hit to the used car market and car dealerships, doubt it will actually get implemented, keep in mind expats are 70% of the population.
Will buy all your cars for 500 KD. Final offer.
Unbelievable ! Kuwait is a pioneer in creating laws that do not exist in any other country in the world, such as limiting the number of owned vehicles and setting the validity of driver’s licenses to one year, etc.
Every rule has adverse effects. People will buy less cars which will affect the economy. What if i am thinking of buying new car, should i sell current one first? This is a dumb law that will affect kuwait more than the expat.
give it a week, it will go back to normal rule
I think it’s for the best. The other day I saw an expat sending his 3 kids to school in 3 different cars. After which he sends another house driver to get him pepsi and Marlboro from the jameya. His wife left on another vehicle to the salon, but she forgot her wallet. Lucky he had a 5th house driver and a spare car to send the wallet to the salon. Meanwhile it’s time for the expat to leave home in his 7th car and pretend to be at work while driving around.
This is not true, even if this is true may be one in million. every Kuwait has this scenario i suppose.
I think you meant to say ”I saw a citizen” because little to no expats have this lifestyle. 😂
You’re greatly mistaken my dear friend. If it were citizens doing what I said, surely the law would be implemented for the citizens and not the expats.
Even though you speak of made up nonsense allow me to educate you. Who cares ! The cars are paid for, the cars are registered, the cars are insured, the cars use fuel, the cars need maintenance. Those are all KD spent wisely into the economy.
Sarcasm is a lost art form I guess.
See the issue is with the new gen lawmakers , the easy solution is on expats. While they are not trying to solve the actual problem. in every developing nation or developed nations the use of public transportation becomes very important because less pollution, using natural resources more responsibly and solves traffic and parking problems.
Kuwait for some reason comes up with such laws that take them backwards always. I know people like me who have been raised and lived all life in Kuwait have no say in such things, but as an honest well wisher to this country i would want to see some kind of positivity to be seen, at least like the 80,s , 90,s and early 2000. God bless Kuwait
The funny part is since there is no parliament (shakes his head)
I have also been informed that Expats cannot purchase
and own … pick-up trucks.
Such as a Chevrolet Silverado.
Not sure IF this is indeed true?
If it is true, then such is another “unique” kind of “rule”. ???
What is the “rationale” behind it that will benefit the country?
Oh well.
Yup, my pick up truck is in my wife’s name
Oh well.
Such is “reality”.
No complaints. Altho saddened.
Just scratching one’s head amazed
God bless
👍👍👍
mind boggling LOL
I get they’re trying to reduce traffic, but wtf how does this even make sense.
Honestly we have a major issue of uneducated people making these type of large scale regulations here. Unbelievable
this law is underserving to the real issue at hand. the majority of expats don’t own more than one car or even own one car for that matter.
the real problem here is the road infrastructure and the insistence on piling everything and everybody on top of each other in overly populated / congested areas. luckily, some road improvements are underway and have taken place but there is a lot more improvements needed and until they fix these issues traffic will continue to be a nightmare.
LOL!
20 years ago – “there’s too many expats!!!”
10 years ago – “there’s too many expats!! we need to charge them for the oxygen that they breathe!”
4 years ago – “No COVID vaccine for expats!! Kuwaitis first!”
Present – “Oh those darn expats are still here?! NO ADDITIONAL CARS FOR YOU! You lot causing too much traffic!!”
ffs.
Watch when the expats leave whos gonna do the work? Bring them back
That’s the catch, they aren’t leaving or decreasing. The expat chart is always bullish.
What will happen to your car collection after this? Sell most and keep 1?
if the law does come into affect then I’ll just put the cars in my wife’s name, so not really an issue for me
After many years of being in Kuwait I’d think you be able to answer the question “Why” Marc. Kuwait wants people to leave. Doesn’t matter if you are an expat, half Kuwaiti, husband of a Kuwaiti etc. Foreigners in Kuwait are allowed to live there onlyto serve that’s the law. Unless a permanent residence system comes up then it will always be the law even in your own passport it says what your job is and it always has. Kuwait is just a nice place to live in terms of safety, cost, ease of travel etc. And for some, family.
He is a foreigner married to a Kuwaiti as I am. While Mark works in Kuwait he certainly has the required document to serve as you say. However, I do not work in Kuwait and I am still allowed to live in Kuwait. If Mark chose to not work for a company in Kuwait he could still remain under Kuwait under his wife’s sponsorship.
I am the son of a Kuwaiti woman, my dad married to my mom. Once she passed all went out the window. The point I am making is for a person who is not Kuwaiti, he or she should understand that Kuwait is not home.
sorry to hear about your mother and appreciate your father’s service … i assume you are living in kuwait only because you have a work visa?
yes i understand that Kuwait is not our home but why is there such disdain for expats that have literally built this country with their bare hands and contribute heftily to the local economy?
btw i don’t really have an issue with this particular law because the traffic is insane (not that the law will somehow cure that issue) but it seems this is just another jab which some expats take exception to.
Thank you my friend. I was living and working in Kuwait for about 16 years. But left about 10 years ago. I love Kuwait and I have over 300 family members there so it will always have a dear place in my heart.
The answer to your question is a simple one in my opinion, it’s the lack of a taxes system. Almost everyone in Kuwait sees foreigners as people who come and eat from Kuwait’s bounty without giving anything back. Even if like you mentioned, its the foreigners who built the streets feed the people and build the buildings. The west opens its arms to foreigners because they contribute financially to the tax system but also they take in the best of the best.
Even as foreigners sometimes we forget the luxuries that are available in Kuwait are due to labor workers that are paid peanuts. We forget to humble ourselves sometimes so imagine how it feels to be at the top.
In Kuwait, foreigners regardless of position tend to be seen as NPCs. No life just service. And in truth, the system makes it seem like that. The person that serves coffee is just a person that serves coffee whereas other places in the world that person could be working on their PHD.
You quickly understand where you are in the food chain.
Personally, what made me leave is I felt I couldn’t give Kuwait anything but my work. If I say well this needs to be done to make the country better people would say you don’t like it leave. This isn’t your country anyway.
I hope I don’t sound bitter because I’m not. I wish Kuwait the best and again it will always be home in my heart.
I feel like we can have a podcast just on this topic :p
Oh and my dad is a veteran that fought in the Gulf war for Kuwait.
So the law of the country is ridiculous to you?
Yes
yes
Our 2 cars are registered under my husband’s name because I’m on a visitor visa. I leave the country every 3 months to renew my visa. We do this because despite driving for more than 17 years in the US, I’m not allowed a license here in Kuwait, but I can drive using my license from the US and international license. I have no idea if we can register my car in my name.
Show me 1 rule or law locally that has ever made sense. None zero zilch nada. Local laws are more focused on than actually fixing the major problems or flaws in the country. Before i get deported i have already left.
Unless they realise expats are part of the solution and not the problem they will never make any headways with the local economy. Sorry to say this is most primitive and medieval governance and will sadly, earn Kuwait a lot of bad press.
Man its good to be back to the good old Kuwait days of banning things at random.
(I moved to Bahrain for work but can’t leave Kuwait behind).
This is anti capitalist propaganda. Clearly, the person who made this rule has no head on his shoulders. Car dealerships in the country will be dismayed and disgusted and this will in fact, drive what little there is of direct foreign investment in the country into the ground.
So i Asked chatgpt about how this could actually help and here was the interesting response:
The draft law in Kuwait limiting expatriates to owning only one car per person appears aimed at addressing issues like traffic congestion, overcrowding in parking spaces, and possibly environmental concerns. However, its effectiveness is questionable for several reasons:
Limited Impact on Traffic Congestion: Traffic congestion is a complex issue that depends on population density, urban planning, road infrastructure, and usage patterns, not just the number of cars. Even with this restriction, expatriates may still rely on carpooling or find workarounds that do not significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
Exemption for Kuwaiti Citizens: Since Kuwaiti households can still own multiple cars (often 3 to 7 per household), the policy could have a limited impact on overall vehicle numbers. Most households and citizens with multiple cars will continue contributing to congestion, which may keep the traffic issue largely unchanged.
Potential Impact on Lower-Income Workers: Many lower-income expatriates already rely on shared or public transportation, so the law might have a greater impact on middle-class expatriates who can afford cars, potentially limiting their convenience without significantly reducing the total number of vehicles.
Inequality Concerns: By differentiating between citizens and non-citizens, the law might create social tension, especially if expatriates feel unfairly targeted. Policies that appear inequitable may lead to resistance and could affect the sense of inclusivity among expatriate communities.
Environmental Benefits Might Be Marginal: While fewer cars might reduce emissions slightly, targeting a specific group (expatriates) without broader, universal restrictions on car ownership may not lead to substantial environmental improvements.
Potential Alternatives or Additions:
For more effective outcomes, Kuwait could consider policies that address the root causes of traffic issues, such as:
Expanding Public Transportation: Improving the accessibility and convenience of public transport could help reduce car dependency for both citizens and expatriates.
Carpool Incentives: Policies that promote carpooling, especially among expatriates, could be more effective than outright restrictions.
Urban Planning and Infrastructure: Investing in better road infrastructure, parking management, and encouraging compact urban development could help relieve congestion.
In sum, the draft law may provide limited relief to Kuwait’s congestion issues and would likely work better as part of a larger package of reforms aimed at all car owners rather than only expatriates.
I’ve got four cars in my name and a truck under my company’s name. I could transfer them all to my company (works out fine since I’d get gate passes for the oil fields and refineries, plus any fines would hit the company’s file, not mine). But let’s be real, when they force people to sell their cars, who on earth is going to buy them and on what price? Are Kuwaitis going to stockpile dozens of cars per person?