Quality Infrastructure

Quality infrastructure is defined as the system that includes institutions (governmental and private) along with relevant policies, legal and regulatory frameworks and practices necessary to support and enhance the quality, safety, and environmental integrity of goods, services and processes.

Accreditation

It is third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body, conveying formal demonstration of its competence, impartiality, and consistent operation in performing specific conformity assessment activities after fulfilling all the relevant international standards requirements to ensure its competence, including but not limited to accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, medical laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, and other relevant bodies.

Conformity Assessment

It is verification of the conformity of products, services or processes to the technical regulations and the pre-determined specifications.

Standardization

They are documentation for the establishment and development of standards, specifications, requirements, and detailed characteristics of products, services, processes, and associated production methods, with which compliance is optional.

Measurement and Metrology

is a set of measurement operations that are carried out under specific conditions using measuring devices and tools assigned to achieve the metrological traceability of measurement results in the Kingdom to the units of the International System (SI). Such operations determine the accuracy of the measuring devices, their adequacy for the purpose for which they were used, and their conformity with the international system of measurement in accordance with specific international standards.

Identification
of Accreditation

Accreditation is: a certificate from a third party (accreditation center) that an entity that provides conformity assessment services in a specific field is officially qualified to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks after fulfilling all the requirements contained in international evidence to ensure the continuity of its efficiency.

Importance
Accreditation

  • It gives confidence in reports, certificates and conformity statements.
  • Supports the quality of results by ensuring that they are traceable, comparable, valid, and interchangeable.
  • Reduces production defects and the possibility of product failure.
  • Increases international acceptance of import and export and enhances trade exchange.
  • It guarantees impartiality and non-conflict of interests. It enhances the levels of general confidence of consumers in the goods and services available in the market.

Role
of Accreditation

Accreditation includes evaluating the efficiency and impartiality of the conformity assessment body and its compliance with nationally and internationally recognized standards or fields that provide testing, examination, calibration, inspection and certification. Accreditation contributes to promoting health, safety, environmental protection and economic development by ensuring the quality of services and products in accordance with the best international standards and references. Accreditation ensures the application of national and international standards in terms of:

Competence

Verification of the technical expertise and skills of employees in an accredited conformity assessment body or an assessment body applying for accreditation by qualified assessors with relevant experience and specialized knowledge.

Confidence

The accredited conformity assessment body have to prove that there is no conflict or harmony of interests with the customer, to whom the services are provided.

Impartiality

The accredited conformity assessment bodies, which provide certifications and issue test reports, have to approve their independence from the organizations to which they provide services.

Promoting international trade:

The presence of globally recognized national accreditation centers contributes to raising the level of trade exchange, and the flow of goods and products to and from global markets.

Risk Reduction:

It protects the health and safety of the public by minimizing risks by working with reliable laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies accredited by national accreditation centers.

Legislation Enforcement:

The center supports the implementation of national legislation, and provides a “Seal of Approval” to confirm compliance with specifications and requirements.

Reducing costs:

The presence of national accreditation centers helps to reduce the need of government agencies to employ technicians, experts and assessors, and thus reduce and avoid duplication of audit processes.

Public Trust:

Working with globally recognized national accreditation centers enhances public confidence in the impartiality of government activities in services related to public health, safety and the environment.

Creating business opportunities:

The accreditation opens up new business opportunities and horizons, and stimulates investment in the conformity assessment sector and opens up new markets.

Enhancing Efficiency:

Calibration, measurement and accurate testing, performed to help reduce errors, improve production cost control and contribute to innovation.

Business Facilitation:

Accredited certificates guarantee compliance with official standards and regulations, meaning that companies do not need to provide additional evidence.

Export support:

International recognition of conformity assessment reports covered by the accreditation promotes business expansion in foreign markets without the need for additional verifications.

Consumer Protection:

Accreditation enhances consumers' confidence in the services and products they receive knowing that they have been regularly evaluated and examined by a competent and independent third party.

Confidence in Products and Services:

Enhances consumer safety through product certification that provides confidence and credibility to the consumer as it is issued by approved conformity assessment bodies.