Although Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of oil in the world, the country is well aware of the fact that this will be a scarce resource in the near future. As the domestic sector of Saudi Arabia is the largest consumer of electricity, the needs of energy efficiency (EE) must start in the homes of its inhabitants. Due to a harsh climate most of the year plus the cheapest electricity rates in the world, the EE culture is finding it difficult to penetrate the population. The Government of Saudi Arabia is striving hard to focus the EE programmes on the industrial and commercial sectors. With the proposed introduction of the Efficient Management of Electrical Energy Regulation, and amendments, EE within the commercial and industrial sector would be further enhanced. These developments, coupled with the recent increase in energy cost worldwide, spells a real need to develop local experts with the required knowledge and experience in EE. This article discusses various aspects of EE and certification of Energy Managers in terms of academic requirements as well as the accreditation requirements needed from training institutes. Various technical aspects of the process have been discussed in view of labour-market requirements and perspective. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.