JEDDAH: Abdullah Bugshan, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE), said the organization is encouraging membership for more women.
Speaking at the SCE office in Jeddah, Bugshan said women with advanced degrees “are in great need,” particularly for supervising girls’ schools and women’s colleges. Bugshan said there are already “a few hundred” Saudi women who are affiliated with the council, “even though Saudi women with (postgraduate) degrees are found in the thousands.”
Regarding the progress of the SCE, which was founded seven years ago by a royal decree, Bugshan said the organization is still working to transfer licensing responsibilities from the ministerial level. “The decree stipulated that the licensing of engineering work will be confined to the SEC instead of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and municipalities,” he said.
He added that the SEC planned to have a meeting with the Ministry of Finance to approve the new cadre of Saudi engineers who have already received the SCE approval. Bugshan said 60 percent of the country’s budget involves development projects, which suggests a strong demand for qualified and adequately educated supervisors.
