Arab Accreditation Cooperation

The Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) is the regional cooperation body for accreditation bodies in the Arab world. It was established by a Ministerial Council Resolution of the Arab Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining Organization (AIDSMO/AIDMO) in June 2008, within the framework of the Arab Standardization Strategy 2009–2013, and was formally launched on 12 June 2011 as the Arab cooperation body for the planning, development and coordination of accreditation infrastructure in the Arab region. ARAC is described as one of the main pillars of the Pan Arab quality infrastructure, supporting inter- and intra-Arab trade, improving competitiveness, providing trust in Arab goods and services, and protecting public health, safety and the environment. ARAC's membership consists of accreditation bodies from across the Arab region. According to its official website, current membership includes 23 members covering 21 Arab countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The organization operates through a General Assembly, an Executive Committee, a Secretariat and various committees, and it maintains a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) with peer evaluation activities. On 19 February 2015, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt, the Ministerial Economic and Social Council recognized ARAC as one of the main pillars of the Pan Arab quality infrastructure in supporting intra-regional trade and the requirements of the Arab Customs Union. Since October 2017, ARAC has been recognized at the international level as an independent Regional Accreditation Group by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the two global associations of accreditation bodies. This recognition was granted during meetings of the relevant committees of the two international organizations in Vancouver, Canada. ARAC's vision is to safeguard internationally the value and credibility of accreditation delivered by its members and of services delivered by accredited conformity assessment bodies within the Arab market. Its mission is regional cooperation among accreditation bodies in the Arab region, existing to coordinate and develop accreditation activities. The organization holds annual meetings and General Assemblies, and organizes the Arab Accreditation Week, with the 6th edition held from 16 to 19 June 2025. The 13th ARAC General Assembly concluded with key strategic and technical resolutions.

The Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) was established by a Ministerial Council Resolution of the Arab Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining Organization (AIDSMO/AIDMO) in June 2008, within the framework of the Arab Standardization Strategy 2009–2013. According to the Arabic Wikipedia entry, it was created in February 2008 by a ministerial decision of AIDMO. ARAC was formally launched on 12 June 2011 to serve as the Arab cooperation body for the planning, development and coordination of accreditation infrastructure in the Arab region, covering 22 Arab countries, with the aim of supporting inter- and intra-Arab trade, improving competitiveness, providing trust in Arab goods and services, and protecting the health and safety of the public and the environment. On 19 February 2015, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States (LAS) in Cairo, Egypt, the Ministerial Economic and Social Council, following its 95th meeting, recognized ARAC as one of the main pillars of the Pan Arab quality infrastructure in supporting intra-regional trade and the Arab Customs Union requirements. Since October 2017, ARAC has been recognized at the international level as an independent Regional Accreditation Group by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the two global associations of accreditation bodies. This recognition was obtained during meetings of the relevant committees of the two international organizations in Vancouver, Canada. ARAC's membership has grown over time. The Arabic Wikipedia entry notes that as of 2019 the organization included 18 accreditation bodies from Arab countries, while according to the organization's website the membership at that time included 15 members covering 17 Arab countries. The current membership, according to the official website, includes 23 members covering 21 Arab countries. ARAC operates through a General Assembly, an Executive Committee, a Secretariat and various committees, and maintains a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) with peer evaluation activities. It holds annual meetings and General Assemblies; the 12th ARAC Annual Meetings and General Assembly took place in 2024, and the 13th ARAC General Assembly concluded with key strategic and technical resolutions. The organization also hosts the Arab Accreditation Week, with the 6th edition held from 16 to 19 June 2025.

• Established by Ministerial Council Resolution of AIDSMO/AIDMO

• Created by ministerial decision of AIDMO (per Arabic Wikipedia)

• Formally launched as the Arab cooperation body for accreditation infrastructure

• Recognized by the Ministerial Economic and Social Council of the League of Arab States as a pillar of the Pan Arab quality infrastructure

• Recognized internationally as an independent Regional Accreditation Group by IAF and ILAC

• 12th ARAC Annual Meetings and General Assembly

• Arab Accreditation Week 2025, 6th edition

• 13th ARAC General Assembly concludes with key strategic and technical resolutions

Regional accreditation cooperation body and pillar of the Pan Arab quality infrastructure, internationally recognized by IAF and ILAC.

• ARAC Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA)

  A multilateral recognition arrangement among ARAC members, supported by peer evaluation activities.

• IAF/ILAC Regional Recognition

  International recognition as an independent Regional Accreditation Group by IAF and ILAC since October 2017.

• Arab Accreditation Week

  An annual event; the 6th edition was held 16–19 June 2025.

• Training and Proficiency Testing (PT) Programs

  ARAC provides training and maintains a register of proficiency testing providers and schemes.

1. 1ARAC – ARAB ACCREDITATION COOPERATIONarabaccreditation.org
2. 2About Us – ARACarabaccreditation.org
3. 3ARAC Role – ARACarabaccreditation.org
4. 4ARAC’s Bids – ARACarabaccreditation.org
5. 5Arab Accreditation Cooperationwikidata.org
6. 6الجهاز العربي للاعتمادar.wikipedia.org