The Saudi Council of Engineers fines 10 contracting companies 1.6 million riyals for violating accreditation regulations
The Saudi Council of Engineers announced that it has taken decisive action against several major companies operating in the contracting and project management sector, issuing fines totaling SAR 1,686,000 . This decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to regulate the engineering labor market and ensure that establishments comply with the regulations and bylaws in force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Details of violations and inspection tours
Intensive field inspections conducted by the Authority's teams in Riyadh, Khobar, and Dammam clear violations of regulations. A total of 684 cases of engineering and technical personnel operating with expired professional licenses, a serious violation of the Engineering Professions Practice Law and its implementing regulations.
The authority explained that these fines were applied in accordance with the procedures stipulated by law, stressing that negligence in renewing professional accreditations exposes establishments to financial and administrative penalties, not to mention the negative impact on the company’s reputation in the local market.
The importance of professional accreditation and its impact on project quality
Professional accreditation is not merely a routine procedure; it is a cornerstone for ensuring the quality of engineering outputs. This system aims to guarantee that project personnel possess the necessary academic qualifications and practical experience, directly impacting project safety and quality . Employing unaccredited workers or those with expired accreditation can lead to serious engineering errors, endangering lives and property—a situation the Authority seeks to prevent through these rigorous campaigns.
Regulatory context and the future of the engineering sector
These moves are part of a broader context aligned with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 , which aims to enhance the efficiency of vital sectors and promote transparency and governance. The Saudi Council of Engineers acts as a regulatory body to ensure a fair and competitive environment, where companies adhere to professional standards, thus helping to eliminate unqualified individuals from the profession and reduce commercial concealment within the engineering sector.
The authority had anticipated these penalties with awareness steps, as it sent text messages via the “Absher” platform to the registered numbers of establishments as part of the “#Approved_or_Not” , with the aim of alerting companies to the need to correct the conditions of their staff before violations occur.
A call for commitment and rectification of the situation
In closing, the Authority reiterated its call to all contracting companies and engineering offices across the Kingdom to regularly verify the validity of their employees' professional accreditations before assigning them any engineering tasks. It emphasized that inspection tours will continue and expand to cover all regions to ensure regulated engineering practices that enhance the quality of life and strengthen the reliability of the construction sector in the Kingdom.
