Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 11 December 2025
The Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) successfully held its 13th General Assembly (GA) on Thursday, 11 December 2025, in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The meeting brought together representatives of ARAC Member Accreditation Bodies, observers, and key regional and international stakeholders to review progress, deliberate on strategic matters, and adopt resolutions supporting the continued development of accreditation in the Arab region.

During the meeting, the General Assembly endorsed several important resolutions aimed at strengthening regional and international recognition, expanding ARAC Multilateral Agreement (MLA) activities, and enhancing ARAC’s governance and strategic direction.

A major outcome of the meeting was the approval of the ARAC Strategy 2026–2030, marking an important milestone in setting the future direction of ARAC. The Executive Committee was mandated to develop a comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan to ensure effective execution of the approved strategic objectives.

In response to emerging technologies and global developments, the GA agreed that the ARAC MLA Group proceed with the development of an ARAC Artificial Intelligence Policy, reinforcing ARAC’s commitment to innovation and risk-based accreditation practices.

The General Assembly further adopted an International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) resolution concerning the transition to the revised ISO/IEC 17020 standard, including a three-year transition period after which accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020:2012 will no longer be recognised.

Another significant resolution was the formal approval of launching new ARAC MLA schemes for Biobanking (ISO 20387) and Validation & Verification (ISO/IEC 17029).Dedicated technical working groups will be established to support the development and implementation of these schemes, in accordance with ARAC procedures.

The GA also addressed administrative and financial matters, mandating the Executive Committee to take necessary actions regarding outstanding membership fees in line with ARAC PR 002. In addition, the General Assembly acknowledged and accepted reports submitted by Regional Cooperation Bodies and International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and ILAC as read.

The General Assembly expressed its sincere appreciation to the Saudi Accreditation Center for its exceptional hospitality and outstanding arrangements in hosting the 13th ARAC Annual Meetings, which contributed significantly to the success of the event.

The resolutions adopted during the 13th ARAC General Assembly reaffirm ARAC’s commitment to strengthening accreditation systems, expanding MLA coverage, and supporting confidence in conformity assessment results across the Arab region and internationally