Expatriate engineers need to pass the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) professional accreditation examination before they can renew their iqamas, it has been ordered by Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior. This is according to Dr. Saleh Al-Muqrin, Chairman of the Scientific Committee and Director of Training and Conferences at the SCE, reported Al-Madina Arabic daily. “The council has started implementing the Crown Prince's orders by coordinating plans with the relevant authorities. It will set up a database for accredited engineers; and contact universities and colleges to ensure diplomas and degrees are not false.” Engineers will be classified according to their qualifications, academic degrees and experience. Classifications include engineer, associate engineer, professional engineer and consultant engineer, Al-Muqrin added. Each classification has “its own requirements and responsibility”. To be considered an engineer, the applicant should have a degree from an accredited university or institute, Al-Muqrin explained, adding that the responsibilities of this rank include providing technical help to work teams and participating in professional development programs. To be an associate engineer, an applicant should have an academic degree, four years of experience and 70 qualification points, he said. “A professional engineer rank requires nine years' experience and 100 qualification points, while that of a consultant engineer requires 19 years' experience and 250 qualification points.” Each rank requires recommendations, tests and interviews, Al-Muqrin added.
