RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem) has granted fellowship certificates in real estate valuation to the first batch comprising 120 individuals. The authority has been entrusted with organizing, developing, qualifying and accrediting practitioners of the valuation profession in different economic sectors. It deals with estimating the value of real estate of all kinds and related rights such as ownership and disposition of ownership, mortgage, insurance, dispossession. The economic establishments valuation branch deals with the valuation of business establishments or the interests of ownership and the valuation of intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, goodwill and intellectual property. The fellowship includes 16 training courses that address basic procedures and methods, market studies, real estate regulations, principles of urban planning and sustainability, studies of land economics, analysis of finance and real estate investment, accounting principles and real estate taxes, and the implementation of comprehensive projects for evaluating and discussing specialized real estate. Participants are also required to complete 3,000 hours of practical work.   Faisal bin Badr Al-Mandil, acting secretary-general of TAQEEM, said: “This batch and the next batches will have a major role in boosting transparency in the national economy.”