Abu Dhabi launches Gulf’s first blockchain-verified Digital Skills Card
New system lets employers verify professional credentials through a QR code
ABU DHABI – Abu Dhabi has launched the Gulf region’s first Digital Skills Card, creating a secure and digitally verifiable record of professional skills and qualifications.
The initiative was introduced by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) in partnership with Union Assessment and Quality Accreditation (UAC). It is designed to strengthen confidence in workforce credentials while supporting professional mobility across institutions and borders.
Each Digital Skills Card is linked to a certification issued through personnel conformity programmes accredited by QCC and delivered by UAC. The credentials can be verified by employers, regulators and other authorised stakeholders by scanning a QR code on the card.
Digital verification
The verification process operates through ADI Chain, the regulation-compliant blockchain infrastructure of ADI Foundation, allowing stakeholders to check the validity and authenticity of professional certifications digitally.
Launch of the Region’s First Blockchain Digital Skill Card.
— UAC (@uacuae) September 4, 2026
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and UAC have launched the Blockchain Skill Card, advancing skills recognition and verification while shaping a future-ready workforce.
A milestone for skills. A step forward. pic.twitter.com/jzy81MOqBW
The launch ceremony brought together government representatives, regulators, industry stakeholders and certified professionals. Professionals from diverse backgrounds who were among the first recipients of the Digital Skills Cards were also recognised during the event.
Badr Khamis Al Shumaili, Executive Director of the Conformity and Standards Services Sector at QCC, said digitalisation had become a fundamental pillar for developing more connected and transparent systems based on trusted data.
He said the Digital Skills Card represents a practical step towards secure and reliable verification of professional skills and credentials, while reinforcing confidence in accredited competencies for regulators, employers and professionals.
Wider recognition
Shahbaz Muhammad Khan, Director and Chief Executive Officer of UAC, highlighted the role of assessed competencies and professional achievements in giving accreditation its value.
He said verified skills could travel with professionals, be recognised across institutions and borders, and retain their value as individuals progress through their careers.
Khan added that UAC intends to expand the Digital Skills Card to cover a broader range of certifications, qualifications and professional achievements.
QCC said it would continue working with government entities, regulators, employers and industry stakeholders to expand digital credential solutions and enhance professional recognition, workforce quality and service standards across Abu Dhabi.
The council supports Abu Dhabi’s quality infrastructure through standardisation, conformity assessment, testing, inspection and accreditation, while UAC focuses on workforce skills assessment and accreditation for industrial sectors, with programmes aligned with regulatory requirements and labour market needs.