GSO Participates in the 20th General Assembly Meeting of SMIIC in Tashkent
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) participated in the 20th General Assembly meeting of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), held on 13 November 2025 in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan. The meeting witnessed wide participation from national standards bodies of Islamic countries, as well as regional and international standardization organizations.
During the opening session, His Excellency Eng. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al-Mana’, President of GSO, delivered a speech in which he expressed his gratitude to SMIIC for the kind invitation and excellent organization. He praised the Institute’s pivotal role in strengthening joint Islamic cooperation in the fields of standardization and quality.
In his remarks, His Excellency highlighted GSO’s key strategic directions within its forthcoming Strategy 2026–2030, reaffirming the Organization’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with SMIIC, enhancing capacity-building programs, advancing the harmonization of standards and technical regulations, and supporting technical cooperation among Islamic countries. He also reviewed GSO’s efforts in promoting Gulf and Islamic economic integration, in addition to the successful initiatives achieved under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between GSO and SMIIC.
The meeting included a review of the Secretary-General’s report, the technical activities report, including outcomes of the Council and committee chair meetings, and matters related to standards and metrology. The agenda also addressed ways to strengthen cooperation among OIC member states in harmonizing halal conformity assessment procedures, thereby contributing to the enhancement of intra-Islamic trade. The General Assembly also approved SMIIC’s budget for 2026.
The meeting concluded with several decisions aimed at developing standardization systems in member states, enhancing technical cooperation, advancing halal standards, and expanding mutual recognition mechanisms for conformity assessment. These efforts collectively contribute to trade facilitation and the improvement of quality infrastructure in Islamic countries.
It is worth noting that the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) operates under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Established in 2010, SMIIC aims to promote trade cooperation among member states through the harmonization of standards, metrology, and conformity assessment procedures, and to enhance the quality and safety of products and services in Islamic countries. The Institute currently includes 46 member states and 3 observer members. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chairs its Board of Directors for the 2025–2027 term for the third consecutive time, while the United Arab Emirates chairs the Metrology Council for the 2025–2027 term.
