KUWAIT CITY, Aug 19: A Lebanese expat has been banned from entering Kuwait through the Salmi border crossing after security checks revealed he had been placed on the country's no-entry list over a serious traffic violation committed two months earlier.
Violation Detected at Border
According to a security source, the man was flagged upon arrival at the crossing after records showed he had been caught driving at 170 km/h before leaving the country.
The violation had not yet been registered in the system at the time of his departure, allowing him to exit Kuwait without incident. However, once the offence was logged, his name was added to the no-entry list — a fact discovered when he attempted to return.
Tough Penalties for Speeding
The source explained that Kuwait applies strict measures against incoming individuals caught exceeding a speed of 150 km/h, with penalties that can include:
- Deportation from the country
- A ban on re-entry
The measures form part of a broader effort by Kuwaiti authorities to tighten penalties for serious traffic violations and curb reckless driving on the country's roads.
The case highlights Kuwait's increasingly stringent traffic enforcement, where high-speed offences can carry consequences extending well beyond fines — including the loss of residency and entry privileges for expatriates.
The source indicated that traffic violations issued electronically through the ‘Rased’ system appear to the violator within a short period, sometimes as fast as 30 minutes. He added that indirect traffic violations, which are detected by surveillance cameras, require a longer processing time, ranging from 24 to 48 hours, before being reviewed and entered into the systems of the ministry.
The source disclosed that the expatriate informed the border officials that he may not have noticed he had exceeded the speed limit and confirmed his willingness to pay the prescribed traffic fine of KD150, with the vehicle being impounded. However, his request did not change the decision issued against him, as he was instructed to return to his point of origin and complete the procedures for returning the vehicle to Kuwait.
