The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD), requires expatriates working in accounting and finance jobs to register their membership for the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA), starting on the 31st of August 2019.

This change is to monitor and improve the quality and efficiency of the accounting profession in the Kingdom. The membership is also required for expats when modifying their profession, renewing and issuing a new work permit. This can be done online through the SOCPA website which links with the MLSD online portal. 

Professions that must register are as follows:

• Cost clerk
• Director internal auditing department
• Finance clerk
• Accountant, costs 
• Director of zakat and tax department
• Accountant, general
• Manager, accounts and budget
• Internal auditor
• Director GA of reviewing
• Senior financial auditor
• Director, financial and accounting affairs
• Auditor, accounts
• Accounts auditing technician
• Director of financial reports department
• General accounts technician 
• Chief of internal auditing programs
• Financial auditing supervisor
• Cost accounting technician
• Controller, financial
  

The membership is an extension of the memorandum between the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA), and The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) to nationalize more accountant jobs in line with the National Transformation Program and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. 

To apply for the SOCPA membership and review the requirements, visit this link.