16,887 fake engineering certificates seized in Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Council of Engineers logo/Representation Image Only/Image: SPA
Around 16,887 engineering certificates submitted last year by foreigners in the Kingdom were from unlicensed universities, reveals the Saudi Engineers Council (SCE).
Abdulnasser Al-Abdulatif, SCE spokesman, said that expats working in different parts of the Kingdom was found without following the Kingdom's engineering requirement of five years' experience in the field.
Some issued certificates were that do not meet the authority's registration terms, while some are certificates of short-term training courses from unapproved institutions.
387 counterfeit certificates were seized last year while 13,465 citizens registered with the Council in 2020.
One of the SCE prerequisites state that the applicant should have a qualified degree from a Saudi university or an equivalent from outside the Kingdom. It is mandatory for all engineers and their assistants to register with the Council and comply with the code of ethics.
It is punishable to practice the engineering profession without professional accreditation or to establish offices and companies or to employ unauthorized persons. If found, the spokesman said, a penalty of 10 lakh SAR will be levied.