Kuwait Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving In Kuwait
Kuwait drives on the right and you need a 1968 International Driving permit plus your onw licence to drive here. Speed limits are 120kmh on highways, 50-80km on rural roads and 45kmh in urban areas.
Kuwait has a well developed road system of 6500Km of roads, of which 4,900Km are paved. There are 7 ring roads around Kuwait City and a number of well maintained multi-lane highways. The most famous road in the country is Highway 80, known as the Highway of Death for its role in the 1990 Gulf War, which runs from Kuwait City to Safwan in Iraq and then on to Basra. The country’s other main highways leading to Kuwait City are Highway 70 which runs from Saudi Arabia to the West and Highway 40, again from the Saudi border, this time to the South and running along the Persian Gulf Coast. There are no toll roads in Kuwait.
Driving standards are often in need of improvement in Kuwait. Speeding and aggressive behaviour is widespread and traffic rules are commonly flouted. Drivers are likely to approach behind you at high speed and flash their lights to make you move over. Accidents are a regular occurrence due to driving style and the high density of cars on Kuwaits roads. If you are in an accident it is compulsory to wait at the scene till police arrive. Alcohol is prohibited in Kuwait so if you are found to be driving under the influence it will be viewed as a serious offence which could result in a jail sentence.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Kuwait Car Rental –
Hertz, Europcar, National,Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar have branches here.
We currently have no local car rental partners in Kuwait. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
Kuwait Self Drive Rules –
It may be possible to take vehicles outside Kuwait but rules vary per company so you should enquire about terms when you reserve the car. The minimum age for driving is 25.
