Engineer from Telangana held in Saudi for using fake degree from 1990s

The Gulf nation has launched a crack down on engineers and other professionals with fake degrees. Authorities are reviewing the credentials of expats, and those found guilty are expected to face legal action including imprisonment.

Dubai: Saudi Arabia and the rest of Gulf countries display zero tolerance towards any type of forgery or cheating. Some Indians and other foreign expatriates in the past have submitted forged academic certificates to boost their employment opportunities. Now, such false degree cases are being detected even decades later.

In the latest case, a Telangana engineer was held in Saudi Arabia for falsifying his engineering degree three decades ago when he first arrived for work. The case highlights the potential long-term consequences of using a fake degree in a professional environment.

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A 66-year-old resident of Karimnagar, whose name is being withheld, claimed that he had graduated from Bengaluru in the 1990s and came to work in Saudi Arabia, where he had worked for nearly 18 years and returned home in 2012, according to his family.

Later, it was discovered that he had submitted a forged degree certificate during the professional license upgrade application while renewing his Iqama (residency visa).

The engineer, who is now facing multiple health issues, visited Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj with the support of his family. He was apprehended while returning to Hyderabad following the pilgrimage and later transferred to Riyadh, where the case was registered against him. He is being tried and barred from leaving the country.

Recently, Saudi Arabia, with a robust system of detection, has cracked down on engineers and other professionals with fake degrees. The authorities are reviewing credentials, and those found guilty are expected to face legal action including imprisonment.

Saudi Arabia is a leading player in the construction sector with numerous mega infrastructure projects. The oil-rich Kingdom’s construction sector is a prime source of employment for India and other Asian countries.