RIYADH — The Shoura Council is scheduled to discuss in its next session the issue of fake degrees entering Saudi Arabia. The council will aim to come up with a tough law to deter those who consider using fake qualifications to apply for jobs in the private and public sectors. The members are expected to stress the importance of certifying these degrees, including those awarded by universities that are unaccredited in the Kingdom and fake ones given by unknown institutions in exchange for money. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Annad, member of the Shoura Council, said a draft bill to be tabled in the council will effectively help in combating the spread of fake degrees. He said the Internet has made it even easier for companies to issue false qualifications. Al-Annad said under the new law the accreditation committee at the Ministry of Higher Education will be given more powers to take action against those who get such degrees. He said there is a difference between fake and forged degrees, adding the former is usually awarded by universities that do not exist in reality. He said he personally knows a father who bought a university degree from an Egyptian university for his son in computer science for $7000. — SG
