In a time defined by global interconnectedness and technological innovation, the background screening industry is transcending borders, presenting both challenges and opportunities, particularly in regions like the Middle East. As a leading online screening vendor with a wealth of experience navigating regional challenges, we understand the nuances and complexities and are here to help you.
For more than 29 years, Certn subsidiary Credence Background Screening, an established international screening organisation, has helped companies and governments mitigate risk and maintain compliance with thorough background screening in the Middle East. No industry sector is immune from the damages of a negative brand reputation, so running proper pre-employment screening is crucial in the hiring process. We find the key to effective background screening in the Middle East is a technology-first approach paired with in-region support.
Together, our multilingual analysts, including Arabic speakers who are knowledgeable about cultural norms and practices and regional laws and regulations, can help your firm maximise the benefits of background screening in line with local guidelines.
Let’s explore more!
The Value of Background Screening
The Middle East is a region rich in cultural diversity, economic growth, and strategic significance. As businesses expand their footprint into this market, the need for robust background screening processes is paramount. From the bustling financial hubs of Dubai and Riyadh to the emerging tech scenes in Doha and Amman, each locale presents unique considerations for employers seeking to build reliable, compliant, and high-performing teams.
Background screening in the Middle East provides valuable insights for employers when evaluating potential hires. It enables you to assess the trustworthiness and capabilities of candidates, protecting your company’s reputation by identifying individuals with criminal records, financial issues, or other warning signs that may affect job performance. Additionally, comprehensive screening helps mitigate legal risks by ensuring you’re hiring individuals who are legally authorised to work in the country and possess the required qualifications. This is particularly important in industries such as financial services and oil and gas where compliance with professional standards and statutory requirements is crucial.
To stay effective, background check vendors must remain updated on the diverse and evolving laws. Reputable vendors should explain how they stay current with industry regulations and promptly inform clients of any relevant legal changes.
Background Screening in the Middle East
Background screening in the Middle East for new hiring isn’t mandated by laws, but it’s also not prohibited. Despite relatively few employers currently conducting background checks (in North America over 92% of employers rely on them), employee screening plays a crucial role in safeguarding brand reputation, ensuring compliance with industry regulations, and reducing the risk of fraud. A 2021 study by Experian, a data analytics company based in Australia, revealed that over 45% of businesses in India experienced an increase in fraud during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the growing trend of a geographically mobile and diverse workforce, a globalised background screening strategy is becoming increasingly necessary.
Implementing employee screening measures can greatly benefit companies that recruit from a global talent pool. Currently, at least 90% of private sector jobs in the Middle East are held by foreigners according to International Labour Organization figures, which means you should conduct proper background screening to gain a comprehensive understanding of the individuals you’re hiring. However, it’s also important to collaborate with regulatory compliance experts within or retained by your company who can provide guidance on navigating legal considerations, including individual privacy laws and employment regulations that apply to non-residents.
Regional Challenges for Background Screening in the Middle East
Facing the task of background screening in the Middle East, you may encounter specific challenges that require careful consideration. A significant obstacle is the absence of standardized background screening practices across various countries in the region. This lack of uniformity, not unlike other regions, can pose difficulties for employers and inexperienced vendors when navigating diverse regulations and customs. Consequently, it may result in inconsistencies in the quality and accuracy of screening outcomes.
Verification Challenges
One of the biggest challenges to conducting background screening in the Middle East and verifying educational credentials, employment history, and professional licences is collecting reliable information in the most efficient manner. This requires a well-trained group of screening professionals who are multilingual and multicultural. Our screeners regularly conduct investigations that involve a thorough review of local press records, using online and proprietary databases augmented by manual field research to locate the appropriate public records. This investigative approach is essential for ensuring accurate verifications in the region.
Language and Communication
With Arabic being the predominant language in many Middle Eastern countries, effective communication is crucial for background screening processes. Multilingual capabilities and localised expertise are indispensable in overcoming language barriers and ensuring accurate interpretation of information.
Cultural Sensitivity and Legal Compliance
One of the foremost considerations in background screening in the Middle East is navigating cultural norms and legal frameworks. Each country within the region has distinct regulations governing data privacy, employment practices, and the use of background checks.
As we noted above, background screening in the Middle East for new hiring isn’t mandated by laws, but it’s also not prohibited.
Here are some key regional legislations to keep in mind:
- Bahrain Data Protection Law: The Bahrain Data Protection Law of 2018 regulates the collection, processing, and storage of personal data within Bahrain. It applies to all public and private sector entities in Bahrain, including foreign companies operating in the country. The law permits employee background screening to process sensitive personal information such as criminal history data, but you must ensure that such processing is done in a lawful and transparent manner and obtain the consent of the employee before processing any sensitive personal information. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties, including fines and reputational damage – it’s crucial for organisations conducting screening in Bahrain to establish robust data protection policies and practices that align with the requirements of the law. This is where a reputable vendor can help with background screening in the Middle East.
- Qatar Cybercrime Law: The Qatar Cybercrime Law, officially known as Law No. 14 of 2014 on Combatting Information Technology Crimes (Cybercrime Law), is a legislative framework that regulates and addresses various aspects of cybercrimes in Qatar. Any processing of personal data must be done in accordance with the law and, not unlike screening in other regions, must be done only after obtaining the prior consent of the person. Organisations conducting background checks in Qatar must ensure that their screening processes comply with the Cybercrime Law’s restrictions on data interception, privacy violations, and other relevant provisions. Non-compliance can result in legal consequences, including fines and imprisonment for individuals involved in unauthorized access or misuse of electronic data.
- Saudi Arabia Personal Data Protection Law: The Saudi Arabia Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) came into effect on September 14, 2023. Businesses have until September 14, 2024 to become compliant. According to the PDPL, investigators are only allowed to process personal data if it’s necessary for the purposes of a legitimate investigation, legal proceedings, or the performance of a contract. Additionally, the law requires that investigators obtain consent from the data owner before processing any personal data. Businesses operating in or planning to enter the Saudi market should prepare to comply with regulations to protect individuals’ privacy rights and ensure data security.
- United Arab Emirates Federal Data Protection Law: The Personal Data Protection Law came into effect on September 2, 2022; it’s an integrated framework to ensure the confidentiality of information and protect the privacy of individuals in the UAE. The Law permits employee background screening to process sensitive personal information such as criminal history data. However, employers must obtain consent from the employee before collecting any sensitive personal information and must also follow certain other requirements, including informing the employee in advance of the purposes of the data processing, the type of data being collected, and the period of retention.
Here’s how Certn‘s approach to criminal record checks, employment and education verification, and credit checks addresses these challenges — verification challenges, language and communication barriers, and diverse privacy laws.
Certn – Delivering Best Practices in Middle Eastern Background Screening
Technology plays a pivotal role in modern background screening. Leveraging advanced AI algorithms, machine learning, and automation enhances efficiency, accelerates turnaround times, and improves the accuracy of results. Organisations that integrate our technology-driven solutions in their screening processes experience significant operational benefits and better candidate experiences.
In a region known for its rapid pace of development, embracing technology isn’t just advantageous but necessary for staying competitive. Our online background screening platform empowers businesses to conduct screenings seamlessly across borders, with features like real-time tracking, digital report management, and secure data encryption. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures data security and privacy, aligning with global best practices.
Criminal Record Checks
In some cases, a police certificate may be required as part of an employee background screening process. Depending on the country, the police certificate may provide information about the individual’s criminal history. However, criminal record checks play a vital role in the Middle East when it comes to hiring foreign nationals. The importance of conducting these checks lies in ensuring the safety and security of the region, protecting both the local population and the reputation of businesses and organisations operating there. Criminal record checks help identify any past criminal activities or convictions and enable you to make more informed hiring decisions to mitigate the potential risks associated with hiring individuals with a propensity for illegal activities, fraud, or other harmful behaviours.
Our online background check services use automated processes to search, analyse, and compile relevant data. These workflows swiftly scan vast amounts of information and extract the necessary details, significantly reducing the time required to generate results. We also consolidate information from multiple databases into a single online report. This eliminates the need for manual searches across different systems, streamlining the process and expediting result generation.
Employment and Education Verification
Our own analysis of 55,000 CVs corroborates that people routinely embellish their work and educational history. Given this, it’s integral that organisations in highly digitized industries use the right verification services to protect themselves from employment application fraud. Certain industries, such as healthcare, education, finance, and security, often handle sensitive information, deal with vulnerable populations, and require individuals with high levels of trust and integrity. Conducting employment and education verification checks helps employers in these sectors meet industry standards and ensure the safety and well-being of their stakeholders.
Our approach combines automation to speed up the administration and online records retrieval, which can often retrieve digital copies of public records and documents, eliminating the need for manual document retrieval or waiting for physical copies to be processed. This further speeds up the overall process.
Credit checks provide valuable insights into an individual’s financial history and behavior. A credit check may help assess an individual’s ability to manage their personal finances, handle debts, and meet financial obligations. This can be particularly important for positions that involve handling company finances, access to sensitive financial information, or positions of trust. A credit check may also provide information about an individual’s integrity and trustworthiness. Employers want to ensure that their employees are honest, reliable, and unlikely to engage in fraudulent activities. A poor credit history or patterns of financial irresponsibility may raise concerns about a candidate’s trustworthiness.
Credit Check
Finally, in sectors such as banking, finance, insurance, or any industry dealing with financial transactions, credit checks are often mandated by regulatory bodies. Compliance with these regulations such as PEP screening is crucial to ensure that candidates meet the necessary criteria and are fit for roles involving financial responsibilities.
Another key area where we excel is user experience. We understand the importance of a streamlined and intuitive interface for customers and candidates. All our background checks are delivered on a platform that’s easy to navigate, saving time and improving efficiency for both employers and candidates. Recognising the growing trend of mobile usage in today’s fast-paced world, our mobile-friendly solutions enable employers and candidates to conveniently access and manage background screening processes on the go, further enhancing the user experience and efficiency.
At Certn, we recognise that background screening isn’t merely a checkbox in the hiring process but a strategic investment in organisational success. By delivering comprehensive, reliable, and technologically-driven screening solutions tailored for the Middle East, we empower businesses to make informed hiring decisions, mitigate risks, and build resilient teams poised for growth in this dynamic region.
Better Background Checks for the Middle East
Adopting a tailored approach to background screening that aligns with local laws and cultural sensitivities is essential. This includes customising screening packages to meet the specific needs of industries and roles within each country. The decision to conduct background checks should also comply with applicable laws and regulations, including data privacy and employment laws.
Certn is a trusted partner for organisations seeking reliable background screening in the Middle East. Our screening experts have extensive experience supporting a wide range of employers from many business sectors, and are particularly experienced in supporting multinational corporations hiring internationally.
Ready to elevate your background screening in the Middle East? Explore how Certn can support your journey toward building a trusted workforce. Contact us today to learn more about our tailored background screening solutions and experience the difference of seamless, online service in this dynamic region.
In the meantime, learn more about our international background checks.
