Unifying Gulf Standard Specifications Facilitates Trade Exchange

The Directorate General for Specifications and Metrology, in collaboration with the GCC Standardization Organization, is organizing a workshop entitled “Activating the Membership of Regional Administrations in Governartes and Relevant Stakeholders in the GCC’s Specification Technical Committees” to promote the integration between the Directorate General for Specifications and Metrology and the administrative divisions of specifications within the directorates and departments of Commerce, Industry, & Investment Promotion across the governorates, and ensure stakeholder participation - from both the public and private sectors - in the development of a unified GCC - Omani standards specifications.?

This workshop aims to:?

• Promote Oman’s participation in the activities of the GCC Specifications technical committees.?
• Include active members from the stakeholders who are enthusiastic to work on developing standard specifications.?
• Ensure that the development of the GCC standard specification aligns with national priorities, including Oman Vision 2040 and the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan, through an inclusive representation from all partners.?

Unifying GCC standard specifications facilitates trade exchange, ensures product safety and quality, and improves services.?

Today, the number of unified Gulf-Omani standard specifications and technical regulations exceeds 26,500 across various sectors, with approximately 80% adopted from international standards, in addition to the food products specifications overseen and developed nationally by the Food Safety and Quality Center.?

A fundamental principle in developing standard specifications is its alignment with global trends and adopting international standards whenever possible. This is one of the key principles of the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT) by the World Trade Organization.?

Standard specification projects are studied by specialized technical committees, which work according to technical manuals approved regionally and aligned with global practices in developing, updating, and adopting standard specifications.?

There are 20 GCC technical committees, 7 subcommittees, and 18 working teams developing and issuing standards specifications. Oman is represented in these committees by 57 members, joined from:?

The Department of Specifications, various administrative divisions for specifications across the governorates, and representatives from the public and private sectors based on specialization.?

These committees are committed to the 2024 specification plan, which includes 1,120 GCC standard specification projects distributed among all GCC state members. Oman has proposed 219 projects in standard specifications.?

Nationally, key Omani standard specification projects currently being developed by the Directorate of Specification include:?

• Frankincense water specification.?
• Frankincense oil specification.?

In coordination with the University of Nizwa and Dhofar University, along with the Department of Specifications and Metrology in the Directorate of Commerce, Industry & Investment Promotion in Al Dhakiliyah Governorate (Nizwa) and the Directorate of Commerce, Industry, & Investment Promotion in Dhofar Governorate.?

Additionally, the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) specification project which is examined by a technical team of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. In addition, the Traditional Ships specification project, overseen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, with the participation of specification experts from the department within the team. as well as the Omani Sarooj project, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in the near future.?

We expect several essential outcomes, including an increase in regional administrations’ participation in the standardization activities in general (specification/ conformity assessment/ accreditation/ metrology/ policies)?

This workshop promotes collaboration between stakeholders from various government entities and the private sector, increases understanding of standard specifications, and refines the skills of technical committees, enabling them to contribute effectively to the standardization process.?

Dr. Jihad bint Jabr Al Busaidi?

Director of Specifications Department?

Directorate General for Specification and Metrology??