Gulf Orbit supplies general and structural welders to construction, fabrication and maintenance projects anywhere in Saudi Arabia, for carbon steel work that is inspected visually rather than by radiography. Welders qualify by procedure test (WPQ), not by TUV card, and their records come with the CV for your approval.
Quick facts
Trade
Welder · Mechanical & Electrical Trades
Worker cards
Site-specific cards and approvals are confirmed per request.
Typical work
Steel frames, platforms, supports, skids, tanks and general fabrication in the shop or on site
Qualification
WPQ to your WPS, commonly under AWS D1.1 or ASME Section IX. Not a TUV-card trade.
Inspection
Mainly visual, with surface testing (MT/PT) where the specification calls for it
Documents with the CV
CV, iqama and profession documents
Mobilization
Mobilization of in-Kingdom personnel to project sites anywhere in Saudi Arabia takes 48–72 hours from purchase order (PO), subject to worker documents and site approvals.
RFQ response
Complete RFQs get a response within 24 hours: a priced quotation, or an acknowledgement with any questions needed to price it.
What they do on site
Weld structural steel and general fabrication in the shop or on site
Prepare and fit up joints before welding
Meet visual acceptance criteria for structural welds
Welder requests often name the most qualified grade by default. A structural welder is the right request for steel frames, platforms, stairs, supports, skids and general fabrication, where welds are inspected visually and by occasional surface testing. Choose 3G when the work is plate welded in the vertical position under a qualification test. Choose 6G when pipe is welded in fixed positions and inspected by radiography, and TIG when the root or the material calls for it. Sending a 6G welder to structural work costs more without improving the weld. To request welders, see welder supply.
Structural work still needs a procedure
Even where radiography is not required, structural welds are made to a welding procedure specification (WPS), commonly under AWS D1.1 for structural steel or ASME Section IX for plant work. Send the WPS, or at least the process, material grade, thickness range and joint types, and welders are matched against that rather than against the title. It is also what your inspector will check the welder's qualification against on the first day.
Shop or site, and the conditions that come with it
A fabrication shop gives welders fixtures, positioners and shelter. Site welding means working at height from scaffolds, in wind and heat, under hot-work permits with fire watch. Many welders are comfortable in one setting and slower in the other. State where the welding will happen, and whether the welder will also fit up joints or will work with a fabricator or fitter, so the crew is matched to your conditions.
Which welder to request
Welders are requested by the process and position their procedure test (WPQ) covers, not by the word "welder". Use the table to pick the line, then name the material, thickness and procedure in the RFQ.
Check each WPQ record against your WPS: process, material grade, thickness range and position must cover the joints on your job.
Ask for the welder's continuity record, so you can see the qualification has been kept current by recent use of the process.
Check the first welds against your visual acceptance criteria before the welder moves to production, and give feedback on day one.
Brief the welder on your hot-work permit, fire watch and gas-cylinder rules before any welding on site.
If welding will be done from scaffolds or at height, confirm the welder has worked at height before and knows your access rules.
Typical crew shape
Structural welders usually work with steel fabricators who cut and fit up, helpers who move steel and grind, and erectors and riggers when the work is assembled on site. On site, a fire watch is often required during hot work, and a supervisor or foreman coordinates welding with the erection sequence. Send the scope and the crew is proposed as a whole.
Send how many workers you need for Welder, the city, the start date and the duration. CVs and documents for each worker come to you for approval, and nobody mobilizes before you approve them. See the full request process
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a structural welder and a 6G welder?
A structural welder welds steelwork and fabrication inspected mainly by visual examination. A 6G welder is qualified on pipe in the fixed 45-degree position and works on radiographed piping. They are separate lines on the register because the qualification and the inspection differ.
Do structural welders carry a TUV card?
No. Welders qualify by a procedure test (WPQ) to the welding procedure on your job, not by a TUV card. The WPQ record comes with the CV, and many sites run their own test before accepting a welder.
Which welding processes can be requested?
Name the process in the RFQ: SMAW (stick) is the most common for structural site work, with GTAW (TIG), GMAW (MIG) and flux-cored welding where your procedure uses them. Welders are put forward against the process and material you state.
Can welders be supplied with steel fabricators and erectors?
Yes. Steel fabricators, erectors and riggers are on the same register, so a structural crew can be requested in one RFQ with headcount per trade, dates and shift pattern.
Will the welders pass our site welding test?
Tell us what the test covers when you raise the requirement: process, position, material, thickness and acceptance criteria. Welders are then put forward against that standard, which is far better than discovering a mismatch at the test booth.
How quickly can structural welders mobilize?
Mobilization of in-Kingdom personnel to project sites anywhere in Saudi Arabia takes 48–72 hours from purchase order (PO), subject to worker documents and site approvals.
