Nobody walks into a plant in Jubail without a gate pass, and the pass is issued to the contractor, not to the worker. This is what AKFAL prepares for every person it mobilises, and what you can have ready to speed it up.
Documents the contractor submits
The client's security office issues the pass against a file the contractor prepares. Missing one item delays the whole crew.
- Valid Iqama (or passport and visa for new arrivals) with the profession matching the job
- Trade certificate and, where relevant, the certificate the client recognises (6G, rigger, scaffolder, crane operator)
- Medical fitness certificate from an approved clinic
- Passport-size photos and a signed contractor undertaking
- GOSI registration under the contractor's number
Safety induction
Aramco and SABIC each run their own induction before the pass is activated. It is a classroom session followed by a test, given in English and Arabic, and in some plants with Hindi or Urdu translation. AKFAL runs its own induction first so the client's test is not the first time you hear the rules.
Trade tests at the gate
For welders, riggers, scaffolders and crane operators the client often runs a practical test or checks a card before issuing the pass. A welder will weld a coupon; a rigger will be questioned on a lift plan; an operator's certificate and licence are checked against the crane class.
How long it takes
With a complete file and an Iqama already in the contractor's name, a pass is usually issued within a week. A sponsorship transfer or a new visa adds the time of that process. Renewals follow the client's cycle, typically yearly.
What you can prepare now
Bring clear scans of your Iqama, certificates and previous gate passes when you apply. Applicants whose profession on the Iqama matches the job move fastest; if it does not match, say so in the form and we will advise whether a change is possible.