Dubai: A Saudi criminal court has sentenced an engineer in Riyadh to six months in prison and imposed a fine of SR50,000 for operating without the required professional accreditation.
Additionally, the court fined the company that employed the engineer SR100,000 for violating the provisions of the Law of Practicing Engineering Professions.
The court's decision came after the company was found guilty of employing the engineer in breach of Article 11 of the law, which mandates that all engineering practitioners must hold professional accreditation. The engineer was also convicted of falsely using a professional title granted only to accredited individuals.
Engineer Abdul Mohsen Al Majnouni, Secretary General of the Saudi Council of Engineers, said that the engineer was caught during an inspection tour by the council’s team in Riyadh. Following the detection, legal procedures were undertaken, including recording statements from the engineer and the company's legal representative. The case was subsequently referred to the Public Prosecution for further investigation and prosecution.
Engineer Al Majnouni noted that over recent months, the council's inspection tours have led to the seizure of numerous establishments and individuals violating the Law of Practicing Engineering Professions.
A total of 30 cases have been forwarded to the Public Prosecution, involving 14 companies and contracting firms, as well as interior decoration and design establishments that provide engineering consulting services.
Violations identified included practising engineering without a license, employing unaccredited practitioners, and using misleading advertising to imply that services were being provided by accredited professionals. The council also took action against eight engineering offices and companies for employing practitioners without proper accreditation.
Furthermore, engineer Al Majnouni highlighted that eight individuals from various nationalities were found to have committed violations such as falsifying data, obtaining professional accreditation through irregular means, and misusing professional titles.
