Article 5 of the Saudi Engineering Professions Law

This article completes the professional accreditation framework from a new angle. After Article 4 prohibited employing engineers who are not professionally accredited, this article bars accepting their work:

• Who it addresses: any body; the text is general and does not distinguish between government and private bodies.
• What is prohibited: accepting any engineering work except from professionally accredited persons. Under Article 1, engineering work includes studies, designs, drawings, supervision, execution, operation and maintenance.
• The exception: the article begins with the phrase "where no special provision applies", meaning the rule applies unless a special provision says otherwise. The article does not set out those special provisions.

The practical effect is that a body receiving engineering work, such as designs or studies, must make sure that the person who submitted it is professionally accredited.

Knowing who is professionally accredited ties in with Article 6, which sets the conditions for accreditation: the required engineering qualification, full legal capacity, an undertaking to abide by the Engineer's Charter, no conviction for a crime involving dishonor or breach of trust unless rehabilitated, no striking-off within the past 3 years, passing technical aptitude tests, and paying the financial fee.

This article does not set a specific penalty for accepting work from an unaccredited person. Anyone who regularly deals with engineering work would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases to learn his obligations.