Abu Dhabi launches Gulf-first credential that lets employers verify skills instantly

Dubai: Professionals can now hold a digitally verifiable record of their skills and qualifications after Abu Dhabi launched the Gulf region’s first Digital Skills Card.

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, in partnership with Union Assessment and Quality Accreditation, introduced the card to give professionals a secure way to prove accredited credentials while allowing employers and regulators to check them through a QR code.

Each card is linked to a certification awarded through personnel conformity programmes accredited by QCC and delivered by UAC.

Employers and other stakeholders can scan the QR code to confirm whether the certification is valid and authentic through ADI Chain, the regulation-compliant blockchain infrastructure operated by ADI Foundation.

Skills that can travel with workers

The initiative is aimed at making professional credentials easier to verify while supporting workforce mobility across institutions and borders.

“Verified skills can travel with the individual, be recognised across institutions and borders, and retain their value wherever a professional’s career may take them,” said Shahbaz Muhammad Khan, Director and Chief Executive Officer of UAC.

UAC intends to expand the Digital Skills Card to include more certifications, qualifications and professional achievements over time.

Employers get a quicker way to verify credentials

The card also gives employers and regulators a direct way to check qualifications without relying solely on paper certificates or manual verification.

“The launch of the Digital Skills Card is a practical step in support of this direction," said Badr Khamis Al Shumaili, Executive Director of the Conformity and Standards Services Sector at QCC. "It provides a secure and reliable digital means of verifying professional skills and credentials, and reinforces confidence in accredited competencies in a way that serves regulators, employers and professionals alike.”

QCC said it will continue working with government entities, employers, regulators and industry stakeholders to expand digital credential solutions and strengthen professional recognition across Abu Dhabi.

- With inputs from WAM.