PAM to Link Expats' Work Permits to Their Academic Qualifications

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has created a new mechanism to check expatriates' academic qualifications and link them to their work permits. 

The new system will allow verification of job titles listed on certificates and link them to business titles issued to workers in the private sector. This process will be carried out by approving qualifications and academic certificates provided to the Occupational Safety Center, which is affiliated with PAM. 

The Authority's new system will also ensure that specialized titles in the financial and banking sector and jobs related to financial and administrative affairs are directly related to the certificates. No expat will be allowed to obtain a job without a certificate in the same specialization. 

The sources of this news stated, "it will be possible for companies, through the Sahel application, to choose the names of those with qualifications according to the assessment of their own needs, and to change it according to the academic degrees of the employees working for them, without allowing their name to be contrary to what is stated in the qualifications.”

The new mechanism has been implemented to prevent job title manipulation and to help tackle marginal labour. A report issued by the Authority shows that 17,000 work permits were revoked for residents working in the private sector in 2022.