Khaberni - The Director of Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Administration, Brigadier Engineer Omar Al-Quraan, announced an ongoing project to transform the practical test into a smart assessment system relying on artificial intelligence, aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in the evaluation of trainees.
He explained that about 80% of the evaluation process will be fully automated, where performance will be monitored according to precise standards without human intervention, which will end complaints from trainees about the "moodiness" of examiners.
He added that the project also includes electronic monitoring of training vehicles to ensure that trainees actually comply with the required number of sessions before applying for the exam, noting that this step "represents a qualitative leap in the training and traffic examination sector."
Transformation goal: To serve the citizen and enhance transparency
Al-Quraan explained that all ongoing procedures and updates in the licensing administration aim to facilitate services for citizens, enhance fairness in procedures, and update the digital infrastructure of the traffic sector.
He said: "Our goal is for licensing services to be simpler, more precise, and more transparent, from license plates to licenses and vouchers, and even the practical test, keeping pace with technological advancements and serving both drivers and citizens alike."
Resolving the debate around what some discussed regarding changes to private vehicle license plates, confirming that the plates will remain as they are without any modification.
Speaking to Hala radio, he said that the new system approved by the Cabinet concerns only government, official, and diplomatic plates, in implementation of the law protecting the Arabic language, which requires that any foreign language writing be accompanied by a clear Arabic translation.
He added: “The private plate, like the national number, is part of the state identity, and will not change either in form or in code.”
Standardizing the duration of driving licenses to ten years
Regarding the system of standardizing the validity of driving licenses approved by the council, Brigadier Al-Quraan highlighted that all license categories – including commercial, bus, and truck licenses – now have a validity of ten years instead of five, to facilitate general drivers and reduce procedural and financial burdens on them.
He explained that renewal fees will remain calculated on an annual basis, where the driver pays fees for each year of the ten, with no increase in total cost other than the number of years chosen at renewal.
Brigadier Al-Quraan clarified that an annual driving permit has existed for years, but the new system clearly defined the categories it covers, which are public transport vehicles, student transport, heavy trucks, and hazardous materials transport vehicles.
He pointed out that the permit is similar to a professional license and aims to behaviorally and professionally qualify drivers to handle their work nature, such as how to deal with students during transport or with hazardous materials during loading and parking.
Responding to drivers' complaints about the distance of course locations, he explained that courses are held in provinces in coordination with regional leaders and police directorates, not just at the central traffic institute.
He stated: “Who drives a student transport vehicle differs in qualification from who drives a hazardous materials or public bus, as each transport mode requires a specialized training course.”
Complete transition to electronic vouchers before the end of the year
Brigadier Al-Quraan revealed that the Licensing Administration has already started issuing electronic vouchers alongside plastic ones, in a trial phase in preparation for the complete phasing out of traditional copies at the beginning of next year.
He explained that the new system will allow payment to be completed electronically, delivering the voucher to the citizen on their phone as a PDF file via a secure link, which shortens the time and procedures.
He added that those who prefer to obtain a plastic voucher will have the option for an additional fee, especially for those who need it for travel purposes.
