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Saudi Arabia introduces new skill verification test for Indian job seekers

Currently, applicants for 19 different professions must take the mandatory exam in order to be eligible

Published: Wed 14 Jun 2023, 2:55 PM

Updated: Thu 15 Jun 2023, 6:31 PM

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Indians seeking employment in Saudi Arabia will now have to undergo a skill verification exam. The move is aimed at improving the quality of professional work, reported The Economic Times.

Saudi Arabia has made the Skill Verification Program (SVP) test mandatory for certain roles and it is likely to be expanded to other categories, the report added. Currently, the skill verification exam must be given to apply for 19 professions. These include plumbers, pipe fitters, welders, building electricians, automotive electricians, underwater welders, flame cutters, electrical transformer assemblers, electrical panel assemblers, and drilling ring electricians, among others.


The Skill Verification Program, introduced by Saudi Arabia in 2021, requires people already working or planning to get a job to give both written and practical tests, the report added.

Recruiting agencies have been informed about the skill verification test by the Saudi Arabia Embassy in India.

In March this year, Saudi Arabia allowed all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) residents to apply for a visit visa to the country. Earlier, only people practicing certain professions could apply for a visit visa.

Visit visa rule relaxed

Now, visitors can apply for a multiple-entry visa for up to 90 days. The permit would remain valid for a year, allowing people to perform Umrah, except during the Haj season. One can receive a single-entry visa for up to 30 days, the validity of which is for three months from the date of issuance. The eligibility criteria to apply for such visas states that the applicant must have a residency ID from a GCC country valid for at least three months.

Saudi Arabia, in May, replaced the visa stickers with e-visas for its missions in seven countries including India, the UAE, and the Philippines. According to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, QR codes are now being used instead of the stickers that were placed on passports.

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