PAM orders comprehensive audit of food-handling workers

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has issued an administrative circular directing inspection teams to carry out a thorough audit of all workers involved in food-handling activities, in accordance with Article 32 of the regulations governing work permits and the official accreditation system of the Gulf Occupational Classification Guide (ISCO-8).

The authority stated that the directive comes as part of joint coordination with the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, to unify inspection procedures and enhancing oversight in this critical sector.

The initiative seeks to ensure that all workers meet professional and health standards — foremost among them the validity of their health licenses, a fundamental requirement for practicing food-related professions.

According to PAM, the inspection campaign will cover all food-handling jobs listed in the updated Gulf Guide (October 2025), encompassing more than 350 professions.

These include culinary and food preparation roles such as chefs, bakers, and machine operators; retail and direct food-handling professions including fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy vendors; agricultural and livestock-related food production roles; various levels of food processing work; as well as quality control, supervision, transportation, and distribution jobs.

Inspection teams will follow detailed guidelines attached to the circular to ensure consistency in procedures and accurate verification of workers’ eligibility and compliance with approved employment conditions.

PAM urged employers to verify the validity of their workers’ health licenses to avoid legal consequences in the event of violations.