Dubai: All products sold in Abu Dhabi will soon have to conform to a set of standards laid down by a quality council.
The move will not only ensure safety of products available, but also ensure that only those with a certain base-level quality make their way from overseas into local stores.
The rules, laid out by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, will also cover personnel and systems.
“Previously, it was a mess. Every entity had its own set of rules and regulations,” said Dr. Mazen Ali Naji, Director - Conformity Programs and Research Department. “Now, we want to be the hub.”
“Most importantly, (the task) is to attract investors by having a safe, trustworthy market that sets the global outlook from operations.”
Once the norms are rolled out, the regulator will carry out assessments and award an ‘Abu Dhabi Trustmark’ certificate to eligible parties.
How to get the Abu Dhabi Trustmark
A ‘Personnel Conformity Scheme’ enables individuals and firms offering various services to get certification that meets technical standards specified by Abu Dhabi regulators and industry experts.
To register, an individual must visit the ADQCC website or assessment centres to obtain and complete the application. Following this, the applicant will be examined against the specified technical requirements. After submission of test results and photo identification, the applicant will be granted a Personnel Conformity Certificate.
He/she will be subject to regular assessments thereafter.
For personnel conformity schemes, the ADQCC issued more than 43,000 certificates across 20 different occupations. “Lifeguards, school bus drivers, supervisors are currently our biggest market because this is what we’re focused on right now, as we enter the new school year,” said a QCC official.
Companies or manufacturers’ registration
Application to the ADQCC product certification scheme requires an applicant to submit evidence of a product’s ability to meet technical requirements specified by the authorities.
Applications undergo a conformity assessment, in which evidence submitted is evaluated against the scheme’s technical requirements. A successful application allows the use of the ‘Abu Dhabi Trustmark of Conformity’.
To date, ADQCC has issued over 2,500 plus certificates across 427 different schemes. A handful of these certificates have been issued on cosmetics standards.
Laboratory testing
The ADQCC has also consolidated inspection and testing services of government laboratories. This helped raise the efficiency of verification and testing services.
The laboratory offers testing services in the emirate for food and beverages, water, building materials, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics and agriculture.
“Joining hands with private partners, the laboratory has also created an authorisation system for lab efficiency,” said an ADQCC official. “This has helped the Council to make optimal use of its inspection capabilities, support the private sector, and provide the majority of services required by the Abu Dhabi government agencies in sectors such as building and construction materials.”
