UAE launches new project to verify private sector workers’ academic degrees

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR), has launched a digital integration project to enable the verification of academic qualifications, marking a pioneering step forward towards an integrated digital employment environment.

The project aligns with the UAE’s vision to drive digital transformation, streamline government processes, and enable private sector employers to verify workers’ academic qualifications electronically, whether they were issued in the UAE or abroad.

The initiative facilitates the delivery of fast, reliable government services that meet evolving labour market needs, uphold professional standards among workers, and enhance the UAE’s role in supporting the labour environment, which, in effect, boosts its appeal as a leading destination for investment.

The project strives to offer highly credible and efficient employment services, supported by the seamless integration of roles between all stakeholders involved, where MoHRE works to embed the new verification process into work permit issuance procedures, while MoHESR functions as the academic verification authority.

Khalil Al Khoori, Undersecretary of Labour Market and Emiratisation Operations at MoHRE, said, "The Academic Qualification Verification Project forms part of our ongoing efforts at the Ministry to enhance labour market efficiency and develop digital services for our customers, reinforcing the UAE’s pioneering vision to attract talent and maintain competitiveness and integrity in the employment ecosystem.”

"The innovative new project relies on integration to drive service development and meet labour market requirements in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive environment that necessitates a specific set of skills to navigate the new economic era,” Al Khoori added, noting that the project supports the Ministry’s pioneering regulatory system in its efforts to curb harmful practices.

For his part, Dr Mohammad Al Mualla, Undersecretary of the MoHESR, explained that the new project will improve the speed, accuracy, and reliability of the academic qualification verification process, which, in turn, allows economic sectors to attract talent that meets their specific needs and strengthens their competitiveness.

"This initiative marks a ground-breaking new step towards aligning the academic journey with labour market requirements, which is a strategic priority for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research,” Al Mualla added.

"Launching this innovative service falls in line with our efforts to achieve the goals of the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme and to deliver high-quality services that meet customers’ expectations and ensure their satisfaction,” he noted. "We will keep working with our partners at federal and local entities, and across all economic sectors, to introduce more innovative initiatives that expand the higher education sector’s contribution to national objectives and visions.”

The service is applicable to private sector employers and qualified workers with academic degrees from outside the UAE at skill levels 1 to 4 according to the National Qualifications Framework.

Users can access the service through MoHRE’s digital platforms (website and smart application) and business service centres across the country based on the approved terms listed on the Ministry’s website.

In a later stage, the service will also be extended to academic degree holders at skill levels 1 to 4 issued in the UAE.

The Academic Qualification Verification Project offers a range of benefits to government entities and the private sector, ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of academic qualifications used in the employment process through direct digital verification.

This allows for more reliable hiring practices, reduces the required paperwork, streamlines the service to a unified verification process and a one-time fee, and enhances public-private collaboration, which ultimately strengthens labour market flexibility and boosts operational efficiency.

WAM