Article 2 of the Saudi Engineering Professions Law

This is the basic rule of the law, and it has two paragraphs:

1. The general rule: no engineering profession may be practiced except after obtaining professional accreditation from the Authority, in accordance with the law and the Implementing Regulations. Under Article 1, professional accreditation is registration with the Saudi Authority for Engineers and obtaining the professional grade. Practicing engineering professions means carrying out any engineering work, and engineering work includes studies, designs, drawings, supervision, execution, operation and maintenance in the engineering specialization branches and their sub-branches.
2. Engineers in government bodies: holding an engineering post in a government body is treated as permission to practice the profession in that body, and only within the limits of the post the engineer was appointed to and its duties and responsibilities. Even so, the competent regulatory bodies may, whenever they see fit, require engineers in government bodies to obtain professional accreditation.

The government exception is therefore limited: it does not give a government engineer the right to practice outside his body or beyond the limits of his post, and it does not prevent him from being required to obtain accreditation later.

This article is complemented by Article 3, which bars an accredited person from practicing an engineering specialization or professional grade in which he is not accredited; accreditation is a condition for practice, and its scope is defined by specialization and grade. The text of the article does not state a penalty for practicing without accreditation; penalties are set in separate articles of the law. Anyone who needs to assess his position would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.