RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development began on Thursday (July 1) to verify the necessary skills workers need to carry out their jobs effectively as part of the “professional verification” program. In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said that the move is part of a mandatory plan for all entities in Saudi Arabia, after four months of the program’s official launch. Commenting on the program, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for the Labor Sector Abdullah bin Nasser Abu Thanin said that the ministry is working to improve the quality of the workforce in the Saudi labor market, in addition to raising the level of services provided, enhancing productivity, limiting the flow of unqualified labor in the Kingdom, and contributing to developing the skills of the workforce, according to international standards to meet the needs of the market. It is noteworthy that the “professional verification” program seeks to ensure that the worker possesses the necessary skills by conducting practical and theoretical tests in his field of specialization. The program targets more than 1,000 specialized professions in 23 specialty fields as per the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations. The program has two tracks. The first aims to examine professional workers in their countries before their arrival in cooperation with international examination centers, while the second track is the examination of professional workers currently in the Kingdom in cooperation with local examination centers. The program is scheduled to start with giant facilities having 3,000 or more workers, followed by large facilities (500 to 2,999 workers), medium facilities (50 to 499 workers), small establishments — category (A) that employ from six to 49 workers, and finally small establishments — category (B), which employ from one to five workers.