Monday 22 / June / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, represented by the Omani Accreditation Center (OMAC), celebrated today World Accreditation Day 2026 under the theme "Innovation, Trust, and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation," with the participation of a number of officials, experts, and representatives of public and private entities.
The celebration underscored the importance of accreditation as one of the fundamental pillars of the quality infrastructure, and its role in supporting economic development and enhancing the competitiveness of various sectors.
Through this event, the Ministry reaffirmed its continuous commitment to developing the national quality system and enhancing the reliability of services, products, and processes. This contributes to raising the level of confidence in the results of examination, testing, inspection, and certification, supporting the business and investment environment, and facilitating trade movement, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
Dr. Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Director of the Omani Accreditation Center, explained that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion accords great importance to the accreditation system as one of the essential pillars of the quality infrastructure. He pointed out that accreditation has become a pivotal element in building trust, stimulating innovation, and ensuring the quality of products and services in accordance with international best practices.
He added that the Omani Accreditation Center continues its efforts to strengthen its regional and international presence and complete the requirements for international recognition, which contributes to enhancing the international acceptance of the results of national conformity assessment bodies, supporting Omani exports, and attracting investments.
He noted that during the first half of 2026, the center registered more than 202 conformity assessment bodies, including testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies. It also carried out evaluation and accreditation operations for a number of national laboratories in accordance with the international standard "ISO/IEC 17025", contributing to raising the efficiency of the testing and examination sector and enhancing confidence in its results locally and internationally.
The ceremony's program included a number of presentations and working papers on World Accreditation Day 2026, the international recognition of the Omani Accreditation Center, the role of quality and accreditation in the progress of Nama Water Services, and the regulatory framework for testing and calibration laboratories. The event also featured a specialized session titled "From Registration to Accreditation: An Integrated National Framework to Enhance Laboratory Quality and Efficiency."
The event concluded with a practical simulation of laboratory assessment operations according to the requirements of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025, with the participation of specialists from the Omani Accreditation Center, a number of laboratories, and technical assessors. The simulation aimed to introduce evaluation and accreditation procedures and enhance awareness of accredited international practices in this field.
This event comes within the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion aimed at developing the national quality system and enhancing the competitiveness of the Omani economy by raising the efficiency of conformity assessment bodies, empowering national laboratories, and supporting innovation and sustainability. This contributes to enhancing the confidence of investors and consumers and facilitating the access of Omani products and services to regional and global markets.
