As part of its pivotal national role as the official accreditation body in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) continues its efforts to strengthen the national quality infrastructure and support the competence of conformity assessment bodies across strategic sectors. In this context, EGAC has signed a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) to provide technical support to petroleum refining laboratories in the field of quality management systems and to enhance their technical performance in line with international standards.

The protocol was signed by Eng. Mohamed Hassan Abdel Halim, Executive Manager of EGAC, and Eng. Wael Rizk, Vice President of EGPC for Refining and Manufacturing. This cooperation aligns with Egypt’s national direction toward strengthening quality infrastructure within key industrial sectors, particularly the petroleum sector.

During the signing, Eng. Mohamed Hassan emphasized that this protocol represents an important step in supporting the petroleum sector as one of the main pillars of the national economy. He highlighted EGAC’s commitment to expanding its technical support and advisory services to enable industrial entities to implement international best practices and achieve the highest levels of quality and efficiency.

He further explained that the protocol aims to conduct comprehensive gap analysis activities for a number of petroleum refining laboratories affiliated with EGPC. These activities are intended to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied quality management systems, both technically and administratively, and to assess their compliance with the requirements of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

The scope of work includes a thorough evaluation of laboratory equipment and instrumentation, ensuring their adequacy, calibration, and traceability to internationally recognized standards. It also involves assessing the competence and qualifications of technical personnel, as well as reviewing quality management systems and operational procedures implemented within the laboratories.

In addition, the protocol covers the evaluation of testing activities related to gasoline products, which require a high level of accuracy and reliability to ensure product quality and compliance with applicable standards.

The implementation of this protocol is planned to cover an average of approximately 25 petroleum refining laboratories, with the possibility of expanding this number based on operational needs and the agreed implementation plan between both parties.

This cooperation reflects EGAC’s ongoing commitment to supporting vital industrial sectors through the provision of specialized technical expertise, enhancing laboratory performance, and strengthening confidence in testing results. It also contributes to improving the competitiveness of Egyptian products in both local and international markets.

Furthermore, this initiative aligns with the state’s broader efforts to promote quality, sustainability, and innovation by developing testing and measurement systems in accordance with the latest international standards.

EGAC continues to build strategic partnerships with national entities to advance the accreditation system in Egypt, enhance international recognition of conformity assessment results, and support sustainable economic development.