Hike in expat driving licence applications

Muscat: Despite a decrease in the number of expats living in the Sultanate last year, the number of expats who obtained a new driving license witnessed an increased by 7.74% in 2018.

According to the National Center of Statistics and Information NCSI annual report: "the number of expats who obtained new driving licences in 2018 were 37,061 while the total number for the year before were 34,398."

In March 2018, the Royal Oman Police implemented a new traffic law introducing a number of changes to driving licence rules, such as expats having to renew their driving licences every two years and the issuance of a temporary driving licence for new drivers for 12 months under a probation scheme.

Temporary driving licences are extended by one year for any new driver who clocks up more than seven black points in a year, according to the new rules.

The new law also mandates an eye test to obtain and renew driving licenses which can be taken at licensed opticians across all governorates of the Sultanate.

The number of Omanis who obtained new driving licences in 2018 were 48,922. This figure includes 26,690 male drivers and 22,232 female applicants.