How welder certification works on UAE and Saudi projects: WPS, PQR and WQTR, which code applies, what the test involves, 1G to 6G positions, how long qualifications last, AWS and CSWIP, and third-party witnessing.
Welder certification, also called welder qualification, is a test that proves a welder can make sound welds to a specific welding procedure, under a named code such as ASME Section IX, AWS D1.1, API 1104 or ISO 9606-1. It is recorded on a welder qualification test record, limited to the process, material, thickness and position tested, and must be kept current. Test centres are listed under welding training and certification in the UAE.
This guide is for fabrication and QA/QC managers, project engineers and contractors who must show a client that their welders are qualified, and for buyers vetting welding subcontractors. It explains how welder and procedure qualification fit together, what each common code expects, what a test involves and how long a qualification lasts. For the machines and the wider code list, see our welding machine guide for the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, see welding training and certification providers in Saudi Arabia.
Two separate things are qualified on any coded job, and buyers often mix them up.
A qualified welder working without a qualified procedure, or a qualified procedure in the hands of an unqualified welder, does not meet a code. The client's inspector will ask for both, together with the link between them.
| Document | What it is | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| WPS | Instructions for making the production weld | The procedure |
| PQR (WPQR under ISO) | Record of the test weld and test results that support the WPS | The procedure |
| WQTR (WPQ) | Record of the welder's test and the range it qualifies | The individual welder |
| Continuity log | Evidence the welder has kept using the process | The individual welder |
The code is set by the project specification, not by the welder. The common ones on Gulf projects:
| Code | Typical work | What it qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| ASME BPVC Section IX | Pressure vessels, boilers and process piping built to ASME codes | Welding, brazing and fusing procedures, and welders and welding operators |
| AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Code, Steel | Structural steel | Procedures (prequalified or qualified by test) and welders |
| API 1104, Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities | Cross-country and in-service pipelines for oil, products, gas, carbon dioxide and nitrogen | Procedures, welders and inspection for pipeline welding |
| ISO 9606-1, Qualification testing of welders, Fusion welding, Steels | Projects written to European and ISO standards | Welders (procedures under the ISO 15614 series) |
Owners often add their own welding specifications on top of these codes, and some manufacturers set their own requirements. A welder qualified to one code is not automatically accepted under another, so ask the client which code and which edition applies before testing.
The welder welds one or more test coupons to a qualified WPS. The coupons are then examined by the non-destructive and destructive methods the code specifies. If they pass, the employer or the third party involved records the result and the range qualified on the WQTR.
The range qualified depends on the variables tested, and changing one of them can require a new test. Typical variables are:
Positions are coded with a number and a letter: G for a groove weld, F for a fillet weld.
| Code | Plate position |
|---|---|
| 1G / 1F | Flat: the welder's head is above the coupon |
| 2G / 2F | Horizontal: the electrode moves in the horizontal plane |
| 3G / 3F | Vertical: the electrode moves in the vertical plane |
| 4G / 4F | Overhead: welding against gravity, one of the most difficult positions |
For pipe, the groove positions are 1G (pipe rotated), 2G, 5G and 6G (pipe inclined at 45 degrees), and the fillet positions 1F (rotated), 2F, 2FR (rotated), 4F and 5F.
Which production positions a 6G (or any) test covers is set by the code's qualification tables, so read the range on the WQTR rather than assuming.
There is no single answer; it depends on the code and the scheme.
For buyers this means a certificate's issue date proves little on its own. Ask for the continuity record as well as the WQTR.
"AWS certification" is the most searched welding certification term in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It usually means one of two things:
Other inspector schemes include TWI's CSWIP 3.0 to 3.2 and BINDT's PCN levels 1 to 3; both are accredited under ISO/IEC 17024. TWI Middle East FZ-LLC, based in Dubai Knowledge Park, runs inspection, NDT and safety training leading to CSWIP and BGAS-CSWIP certification. Whatever the scheme, the client's specification decides what is accepted.
On most client-inspected work, an independent body witnesses the procedure test, the welder tests, or both, and countersigns the records. TWI, for example, offers third-party witnessing of welding procedure qualification and welder qualification to standards such as ASME IX, EN ISO 15609-1 and AWS D1.1, carried out by TWI Certification Ltd, which is a recognised third party under the European Pressure Equipment Directive. Under that directive, welders must be approved by a competent third party, either a notified body or a recognised organisation.
When you hire a subcontractor, ask who witnessed the tests and whether that body is acceptable to your client. Witnessing and inspection firms are listed under third-party inspection and inspection and testing.
The WPS fixes the filler metal classification, and the welder's range covers that type of deposited metal. Some projects also require consumables approved by a classification society, and manufacturers publish these approvals: Kobelco's LB-52 low-hydrogen electrode data sheet, from its Thai licensee, lists approvals from NK, LR, ABS, BV, DNV and GL, and Magmaweld lists its E7018-1 H4R electrode with an equivalent CSA W48 classification alongside AWS and EN ISO codes. Check that the consumable in the store matches the classification on the WPS before welders test or produce. Our guide to welding electrodes explains the classification codes.
No prices here; they vary by centre, code and scope. What drives the cost:
If you need a test centre, witnessing body or qualified welding contractor, post your requirement and let providers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia respond. Contractors that supply qualified welders are listed under welding services.
More in this series: MIG vs TIG vs Stick Welding, Welding Helmets and PPE, Laser Welding Machines.
The project decides. Welders need a qualification to the code in the project specification, typically ASME Section IX for pressure equipment and process piping, AWS D1.1 for structural steel, API 1104 for pipelines, or ISO 9606-1 on ISO-based projects, plus any client supplement. AWS Certified Welder cards are transferable evidence but do not replace a project test the client requires.
It determines whether the welder can make sound welds following a specific welding procedure. Test coupons are examined with non-destructive and destructive tests, and the result sets the range the welder is qualified for: process, filler metal, thickness, joint type, position and backing. Work outside that range needs another test.
Procedure qualification proves the method works: a test weld made to a draft WPS is tested and recorded on a PQR. Welder qualification proves the person can follow a qualified WPS, recorded on a WQTR. Coded work needs both, and the client's inspector will check that each welder's qualification matches the procedure in use.
6G is a pipe groove-weld test position in which the pipe is inclined at 45 degrees. The other pipe groove positions are 1G (rotated), 2G and 5G; plate positions run from 1G (flat) to 4G (overhead). Which production positions a 6G test qualifies depends on the code's qualification tables, so check the range written on the WQTR.
It depends on the scheme. Many qualifications remain valid as long as the welder uses the process at least every six months and keeps a continuity log; others need a retest after a fixed period, commonly two years, or apply to one project only. AWS Certified Welder status stays valid while continuity is maintained.
AWS tests welders at Accredited Test Facilities in the United States and internationally, and employers can check cards on the AWS National Registry. Acceptance on a Gulf project still depends on the client's specification: some accept AWS cards, others require testing to their own procedures witnessed by an approved third party.
Featured image: Photo: Newfoundlandguy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Which filter shade each welding process needs, what to check on an auto-darkening helmet, the standards for helmets, jackets and gloves, respirators for fume, and PPE rules in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
What the numbers on a welding rod mean, when to use E6013 or E7018, how to store and redry low-hydrogen electrodes on humid Gulf sites, and which rods suit stainless steel and cast iron.
How MIG, TIG and stick welding differ in metals, thickness, speed, finish, wind tolerance and skill, and which process fits shop, site and pipe work in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
