Friday 23 / May / 2025
Muscat: The Fifth GCC Laboratory Efficiency Conference kicked off yesterday.
The two-day conference is organised by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GCC-SO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
It reviews the latest development and exchanges best practices in the field of laboratory efficiency and important challenges faced by the petroleum and petrochemical sectors.
The conference was patronised by Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, who considered the conference as a platform for exchanging ideas and agreeing on specific mechanisms to enhance cooperation among member countries to uplift the efficiency of laboratories, especially with regard to control on fuels and petrochemicals and implementation of best international practices in this field.
Dr. Al Sunaidi said that the conference addresses the oil and petrochemical sector as it is of vital importance to the economies of the GCC countries, which are among the largest producers of oil and related industries, including the petrochemical industry, which is the second largest industrial sector in the region, with products worth a total of approximately $100 billion per year and a global market whose total value in the next five years is expected to exceed $1 trillion.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry pointed out that the Ministry contributes to organising this conference in cooperation with GCC-SO to emphasise the principle of partnership with other GCC countries to ensure the implementation of quality standards and the development of the infrastructure of standardisation.
Saud bin Nasser Al Khusaibi, GCC-SO Secretary General, said that since its establishment, the GSO has supported the implementation of the unified economic agreement for the GCC countries, based on the objectives of the GCC Statute aimed at achieving coordination, integration and connection among member states.
John Walter, President of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), stressed the importance of the conference, especially in the quality of industries that adhere to specifications, pointing out that each country has to do many things and there are many priorities.
ISO president noted that the importance of this conference is to set priorities as a discussion of the impact of the quality of manufacturing in the oil and gas sectors.
The conference, which was held at the Sheraton Oman Hotel, started with several sessions focusing on the integration of the quality infrastructure of the GCC countries in the fields of petroleum and petrochemicals, specifications and accreditation as a strong tool in the efficiency testing, in addition to efficiency testing programs and their role in the sustainability of quality and the role of quality infrastructure in Petroleum and petrochemicals industry as a catalyst for growth.
The opening of the conference was attended by a number of ministers, undersecretaries, heads of regional organisations and federations, experts and speakers in this field at the regional and international levels.
ISO praise for Sultanate
John Walter, President of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), praised the Sultanate’s system of specification and standardisation, which is a member of the organisation and plays an effective and influential role like the rest of the member states.
He added in a statement that the ISO is seeking to identify the priorities of the countries of the region in terms of specifications and standardisation, especially that the Sultanate has some views and ideas that help the Organisation to develop some specifications, noting that the oil and gas sectors represent the main priority for the countries of the region.
He pointed out that ISO is in the process of establishing a new strategic plan, expecting that the ISO vision over the next 10 years will make the world a better place by bringing the member countries closer together to discuss many issues related to specifications and standardisations.
