Traffic Law, Violations, Penalties and Licensing
Licence, vehicle, behaviour
Saudi traffic law polices three things: your documents, your vehicle and your driving.
Documents: you need a valid licence of the correct class for the vehicle, private car licences being available from age 18 after theory and practical tests and a medical check. Visitors may drive on a valid foreign or international licence for a limited period. The vehicle must have a valid registration (istimara), a current periodic technical inspection and at least third-party insurance; driving uninsured or with an expired istimara is an offence. Carry your licence and vehicle documents.
Behaviour: seatbelts are compulsory for driver and passengers, children need appropriate restraints, and using a hand-held phone while driving is prohibited. Red-light running, speeding, wrong-way driving, overtaking on solid lines, drifting and driving without a licence carry fines, black points and often impoundment. Points accumulate: reach the threshold and your licence is suspended. Automated cameras (Saher) record speed, red-light and phone offences, so "no officer present" is no defence.
At a collision, stop, switch on hazard lights and report to the traffic police or the Najm service; leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offence.
Rule of thumb: before you drive, run the three checks - licence, istimara, insurance - because that is exactly what an officer will ask for.