On the sidelines of the conference titled “The Present and Future of the Economic Valuation Profession in the Kingdom,” organized by the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem) last weekend, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Issa, editor-in-chief of the real estate newspaper “Amlak,” met with the Authority’s Deputy Secretary-General, Sultan Al-Jreis, who provided the newspaper with exclusive comments on the specialized training courses organized by the Saudi Authority for Certified Appraisers.

Al-Jreis revealed a number of upcoming training courses that the Authority intends to organize as part of its efforts to prepare qualified national professionals. The courses offer the option to take the exam without being required to attend the course, Candidates may also retake the exam if they do not pass, though he recommends attending the course sessions to maximize the benefits. Al-Jreis said that the courses vary according to different fields; the Authority has dedicated five diverse courses to real estate appraisal, and there are courses for commercial and industrial appraisal, as well as other fields.

Regarding attendance and turnout, the Authority’s Deputy Secretary-General explained that attendance was outstanding and included participants from all age groups, including trainees in their later years (72 and 80). The courses aim to develop the real estate appraisal profession and reinforce professional ethics. He noted that the role of a real estate appraiser is akin to that of a judge, as they sign binding contracts and adhere to the profession’s terms and conditions. During his meeting with the editor-in-chief, Al-Jreis called for cooperation with Amlak newspaper to promote a culture of awareness and appraisal in general.