Bahraini authorities took exception that the youth had a temporary Saudi license and not the official one that is issued at 18. His vehicle was also confiscated, Al-Yaum daily reported Sunday.
The youth from Jubail, who had entered Bahrain along with his family, was then handed over to the custody of Bahrain traffic police, said a source at the Saudi Embassy in Manama.
“At 2 a.m. on Jan. 8, the embassy received a complaint from the teenager’s father that his son had been detained for not having a driving license that is valid in Bahrain,” said the source.
“The traffic police official turned down the embassy’s plea to grant him bail … but later in the afternoon, the embassy received a phone call from the traffic police saying it was ready to accept the embassy’s guarantee for his release and that the car would remain in custody. The teenager left Bahrain in the company of his brother,” he added.
The teenager later appeared before the Bahrain public prosecutor along with his father and both were fined SR500.
The incident has attracted the ire of traffic officials in the Eastern Province. “This young Saudi was detained and fined for driving while attempting to enter Bahrain and not in the country. They could have simply sent him back … instead of detaining him,” said a traffic police source, adding that his detainment is in contravention of agreements between GCC states.
He also said the temporary driving licenses issued in the Kingdom to 17-year-olds are valid in all GCC states except Bahrain and the UAE. He also drew attention to the fact that Saudi traffic authorities do not normally take punitive measures against small violations committed by nationals of other GCC states, especially families who enter in their own vehicles.
“Our officers often detect violations on the part of Bahrainis who cross the causeway into the Kingdom,” he said.
Maj. Mousa Al-Dosari, director of public relations at the Bahrain traffic department, refused to comment on the incident.
