The Sultanate of Oman has been approved as a member of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), effective next year. This opens broader horizons for Oman to contribute to the development of standards and metrology adopted by member states, enhance technical cooperation, and facilitate the flow of goods and products between Islamic markets.
This membership is part of the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion to strengthen integration with regional and international organizations and institutions related to standardization, and to support the reliability of products, services, and processes provided by conformity assessment bodies, including testing and calibration laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection authorities.
Imad bin Khamis Al-Shukaili, Director General of Standards and Metrology, explained that Oman's membership was accepted during the 31st meeting of the SMIIC Board of Directors, following the Ministry's application for membership.
He emphasized that the Sultanate of Oman's accession to the Institute, which is affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and headquartered in the Republic of Turkey, represents a significant step towards strengthening cooperation and integration with Arab and Islamic countries, as well as countries worldwide, in the fields of standardization and quality. It also provides the Sultanate of Oman with the opportunity to participate in the development and enhancement of standards, benefit from training programs and workshops, and exchange technical expertise, thus contributing to building national capacities and raising the efficiency of specialists in the fields of standardization and quality.
He noted that the Directorate General of Standards and Metrology will represent the Sultanate of Oman in the Institute's General Assembly and several technical councils and committees, including the Standardization Board and the Metrology Council. This will enhance the Sultanate of Oman's presence in formulating technical policies related to standards and metrology at the level of Islamic countries.
For his part, Dr. Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Director of the Oman Accreditation Center at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, explained that membership will support the development of the halal system in the Sultanate of Oman by strengthening cooperation with the Institute and member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and working towards building an integrated system for halal accreditation in accordance with the standards issued by the Institute, encompassing products, services, and halal certification bodies.
He added that this step will contribute to unifying halal standards among Islamic countries, supporting national products by facilitating their access to foreign markets and increasing their competitiveness, as well as supporting training and qualification programs for Omani assessors and personnel in the fields of evaluation and auditing, in accordance with the requirements of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC). This will ensure the quality and accuracy of auditing processes for halal products, especially food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, and protect consumers from counterfeit or adulterated halal products.
He explained that membership will also contribute to activating the role of the Oman Accreditation Center through its active participation in the Institute's Accreditation Council, which is concerned with building a unified accreditation system among member states, thus ensuring the efficiency of certification bodies.
He said that the acceptance of the Sultanate of Oman's membership comes at a time that aligns with efforts to develop the national standards and metrology system and enhance the readiness of the Oman Accreditation Center for international recognition. This represents an important addition to the development of the national accreditation system, raising the efficiency of the halal system, and supporting the technical and institutional efforts aimed at harmonizing the Center's work with internationally recognized requirements and practices in the fields of accreditation and conformity assessment.
Through this membership, the Sultanate of Oman affirms its commitment to developing the quality infrastructure and enhancing its active participation in the technical initiatives and activities implemented by the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, in a way that serves the goals of economic development and keeps pace with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, in addition to supporting the signing of memoranda of understanding and mutual recognition agreements with a number of Islamic countries in the fields of standardization and halal.
