The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) is organizing a seminar tomorrow, Sunday, titled "Standards and Accreditation for a Sustainable Industry". The event will feature participation from a number of government and private sector entities, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and experts and specialists in the fields of standards, accreditation, and quality. The seminar aims to enhance the standardization and accreditation system in the Sultanate of Oman and enable the national industrial sector to compete regionally and globally by raising product quality and bolstering the confidence of local and international markets in Omani manufacturing. The event also seeks to introduce the Omani Accreditation Center (OAC) and its vital role in supporting the Quality Infrastructure, and highlight the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving sustainable development goals. The seminar will include the presentation of diverse working papers on the role of standards in promoting competitiveness and the role of accreditation in empowering SMEs, in addition to reviewing the experiences of national entities in elevating product and service quality through the application of standard specifications and accreditation. The event will also feature a visual presentation on the presence of Omani industry in global markets, alongside introductory presentations on the accreditation and standardization system. Commitment to Quality Infrastructure Eng. Imad bin Khamis Al Shukaily, Director General of the Directorate General of Standards and Metrology at MoCIIP, stated that organizing the seminar affirms the Sultanate of Oman's commitment to building a sustainable and innovative industrial system based on quality, accreditation, and standard specifications. The seminar aligns with the activities of World Quality Week 2025 and is in harmony with the directives of "Oman Vision 2040" to enhance the competitiveness of national industries and create a suitable environment for raising institutional performance efficiency. In a statement to the Oman News Agency (ONA), he added that the Omani Accreditation Center represents a fundamental pillar for supporting the national economy and enabling institutions to access international markets by meeting global accreditation and quality requirements. The Directorate has trained more than (250) trainees through (15) training programs. He clarified that regarding the registration of testing and calibration laboratories, more than (109) laboratories have been registered, with over (31) field visits conducted this year, utilizing (105) evaluators. The number of inspection bodies reached (41) entities, in addition to granting compliance assessment certificates to 23 bodies. It is worth noting that the Directorate General of Standards and Metrology at MoCIIP issued (203) standard specifications this year. Furthermore, the 2025 plan's (983) Gulf standard specifications were studied and opinions were submitted. A workflow guide for the Standards Department was also issued, with the number of members in the technical committees reaching (72) members from government and private entities.
