Al-Osaily Announces Recognition of Palestinian Certificates of Conformity by the Saudi Standards Authority for Non-Food Products

Ramallah – Chaired by Minister of National Economy and Chairman of the Board of the Standards and Metrology Institution, Mr. Khaled Al-Osaily, the Institution held its fourth meeting of 2022 yesterday, with the participation of Director General Eng. Haidar Hajjeh. The meeting addressed several key topics aimed at advancing national industry and enhancing its competitiveness in local and international markets.

The Board reviewed the Council of Ministers' decision regarding the designation of regulatory and inspection authorities for the enforcement of mandatory technical regulations, specifically:

• Regulation No. 103-2022 concerning fruit jams, jellies, marmalades, and local chestnut purée intended for human consumption,

• Regulation No. 104-2022 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, and

• Regulation No. 106-2022 on toy safety, assigning oversight responsibilities to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Economy.

In addition, Regulation No. 105-2022 regarding simple pressure vessels will be jointly monitored by the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of National Economy, each within its respective jurisdiction.

The Board also approved the amended system for granting conformity marks, following necessary updates to ensure clarity, ease of reference, and alignment with recent global developments.

The Board was briefed on a draft Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the Institution and Palestine Polytechnic University, aimed at strengthening cooperation in scientific and technical areas including standards development, training, research, testing, and calibration.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Institution held a dialogue session to discuss its Strategic Plan for 2023–2027, in collaboration with the National School of Administration, at the Ministry of National Economy headquarters, with participation from public and private sector representatives and institutional partners.

Minister Al-Osaily opened the session by welcoming participants and highlighting the strong partnership between public and private sectors and relevant institutions in developing the strategy. During the opening, Al-Osaily announced the official recognition of Palestinian Certificates of Conformity by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) for non-food products. This recognition allows Palestinian exporters and businesspeople to access the Saudi market without the need for additional testing.

He thanked the Institution for its efforts and extended appreciation to those managing the “Tashgheel” Export Program, funded by the UK Government, for their continued support in achieving this milestone.

For his part, Eng. Haidar Hajjeh stated that the Institution's strategy had been reviewed through an internal task force, with full employee participation in the review process. He noted that the strategic framework for the next five years had been drafted, and that the session provided an opportunity to discuss and finalize the strategy before adoption.

During the session, a draft of the National Standards and Metrology Strategy was presented, with emphasis on positioning it as a guiding framework to support the business sector, strengthen the national quality infrastructure, and align with the overarching governmental framework, while responding to global changes and developments.

The session was facilitated by volunteer experts Mr. Mohammad Shreih, Mr. Ayman Al-Mimi, and Ms. Hanadi Barahmeh from the National School of Administration, who worked to ensure consensus among participants on the Institution’s strategy for the next five years.