KUWAIT: Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) and the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Adarsh Swaika agreed to expand the number of the India-based accreditation bodies recognized by Kuwait. KSE said it will be planning a future visit to India to look into organizations that conform with international standards for the engineering profession.

The agreement came following a meeting between the Head of KSE Faisal Al-Atal and the Indian Ambassador where they discussed issues of mutual interest, most notably approval of engineering qualifications and granting Indian engineers a “to whom it may concern” certificates to practice the profession in Kuwait. The meeting was in the presence of representatives from the Asia department at Kuwait Foreign Ministry and the Indian Embassy in Kuwait.

Ambassador Swaika said he hoped the society would facilitate issuing “to whom it may concern” certificates and remove the obstacles that thousands of Indian engineers face in Kuwait. He said India upholds its end of the deal when it comes to bilateral education and accreditation agreements. Indian engineers, he said, work at KNPC and other oil companies, as well as the infrastructure and construction sectors.

Atal promised to look into prioritizing Indians when it comes to getting the certificates, in a manner consistent with international standards. He explained that approving non-Kuwaiti engineers, particularly Indian engineers, is in line with international standards, including the Washington Accord in addition to the International Engineering Alliance and the Indian National Board Accreditation (NBA). He emphasized that the society favors programs accredited by non-profit international bodies as opposed to those only approved by the government where the program is offered.