[Sparky McGhee]

I am an American citizen currently living in Oman. I have lived abroad for many years, and my California drivers license expired in 2013. However, I have a valid Omani license. I was offered a job working for a defense contractor in Saudi Arabia. I have all of the qualifications except the US drivers license. Their HR department says that the Saudi government requires it. I have no idea why -- driving is not a part of my job description.

I no longer have any residency, or family in the United States and going back for the sake of getting a drivers license would be an enormous pain in the neck. It would take at least a month from the time that I walk into the DMV to the day I received my license in the mail. And then of course there is the expense…

Workarounds? Has anybody else run into this?

-- No, I can't do it online.
-- Yes, I need to establish residency in the state I apply.
-- Yes, I will need to take the driving test because my license expired 4 years ago.

 

[kevinthegulf]

In order to get a saudi licence you need your original nationality licence, if you are from a select bunch of countries (EU, US, Australia etc) if not you need to pass the test etc with all the delay & hassle that goes with it.
Probably as it is defence related you will be required to drive your own car into the workplace as there will be security issues and probably a Taxi wouldnt be allowed in.

Just guessing but that seems logical to me having lived in a few places round this neck of the woods and had extensive dealings with security passes and access or lack of it
rgds
Kev

 

[TundraGreen]

I am an American citizen currently living in Oman. I have lived abroad for many years, and my California drivers license expired in 2013. However, I have a valid Omani license. I was offered a job working for a defense contractor in Saudi Arabia. I have all of the qualifications except the US drivers license. Their HR department says that the Saudi government requires it. I have no idea why -- driving is not a part of my job description.

I no longer have any residency, or family in the United States and going back for the sake of getting a drivers license would be an enormous pain in the neck. It would take at least a month from the time that I walk into the DMV to the day I received my license in the mail. And then of course there is the expense…

Workarounds? Has anybody else run into this?

-- No, I can't do it online.
-- Yes, I need to establish residency in the state I apply.
-- Yes, I will need to take the driving test because my license expired 4 years ago.

For what it is worth, a few years ago my US drivers license (Colorado) was stolen. I happened to be in California shortly after that. I had had a California drivers license about 10 years prior to that time. I went into a California DMV office (San Diego). It turned out that I was still in their database. It took less than an hour to get them to issue me a current California license. I think they gave me the physical card on the spot, but I am not positive. It is possible they mailed it to the California address of a friend that I was using for an address. There was no test written or road.