Kuwait has tightened driving regulations for non-citizens as part of a broader crackdown on foreign workers living in the country.
Foreigners make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 3.8 million and the government said in March that it was seeking to cut its expatriate workforce by 100,000 people annually for the next decade.
To qualify for a driver's licence, most foreigners must have a two-year visa, a university degree and earn 400 dinars (Dh5,148) a month, but there are several exceptions allowed.
Expatriate students and housewives with children were among those exempted from the conditions, along with engineers, judges, lawyers and journalists.
But now the traffic department is reviewing the list of exemptions, the interior ministry undersecretary for traffic affairs, Major General Abdulfattah Al Ali, told Kuwaiti newspapers.
The exemptions for wives who were issued a licence based on their family visa and for students who have found work could be abolished, said Maj Gen Al Ali.
Kuwaiti daily Arab Times reported on Monday that more than 2,000 expatriates have been deported for traffic violations since April, citing Colonel Adel Al Hashash from the interior ministry.
"Every country has its laws, and those who violate its immigration laws, as well as those who violate its other laws should be subject to deportation," Col Al Hashash was quoted as saying.
Other restrictions against expatriates have also been floated. Members of parliament have suggested lifting utility subsidies for foreigners, meaning that they would pay full price for services such as water and electricity.
On Saturday, Kuwait's health ministry also began a trial programme that would prevent expatriate workers from seeking medical care during morning hours, reserving these times exclusively for citizens.
The ministry defended its position yesterday as a means to streamline patient traffic throughout the day.
"Kuwait's health minister is studying the proposal to designate specific hours of the day that nationals and expatriates can access medical attention," the information ministry said. "The proposal is intended to ease the overcrowding at clinics that continue to increase for regular checkups."
* With additional reporting from Agence France-Presse