Over 2,000 fake engineering certificates discovered in 6 years
JEDDAH: A Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) spokesman said that during the last six years they have detected 2,294 fake engineering certificates held by individuals applying to work in the Kingdom.
Abdulnaser Al-Abdullatif was quoted by Al-Madina newspaper as saying the number of counterfeit certificates discovered in 2015 and 2016 numbered 271 and 185 respectively, adding that the largest number of fake certificates detected in one year was 546 in 2011. He expects the numbers to decrease, adding that the SCE, the entity responsible for verifying certificates of engineers coming to the Kingdom, has approved strict measures in attesting non-Saudi engineers coming from abroad. It implemented conditions that include three years of experience, a professional test and an interview.
He said an electronic record where engineers’ qualifications and experiences are registered is shared between the SCE and the Passports Department, to uncover unqualified engineers who could pose a threat to the projects on which they are working.