Abu Dhabi: A pioneering model in establishing quality standards, consumer protection

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its system of quality and regulatory oversight for products and services circulating in local markets, reinforcing its position as one of the leading destinations in ensuring consumer safety and protecting their rights. This is achieved by applying the highest technical standards and global best practices, and by adopting strict regulatory policies that support economic sustainability and boost public confidence.

Authorities in the emirate, led by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), attach great importance to ensuring that products and services comply with approved specifications and are free from any materials or components that may pose risks to public health or the environment. This is accomplished through an integrated framework that includes field inspections, specialised laboratory testing, issuing certificates and licenses, as well as providing technical consultations and training programmes.

The QCC relies in its work on effective partnerships with government and semi-government entities, enabling it to implement precise regulatory plans and adopt advanced methodologies that enhance service quality while supporting the competitiveness of national products in local, regional, and global markets.

Statistics for the second quarter of 2025 revealed that the Council’s operational sectors achieved positive performance indicators across various fields, reflecting its continuous commitment to developing and improving the quality control system. The Market and Consumer Services Sector inspected 33,452 products to verify compliance with specifications, withdrew 20 non-compliant products from the market, corrected 17 products, verified 4,191 legal measuring instruments, and reviewed 432 packages.

The Central Testing Laboratory of the Council conducted 138,957 laboratory tests across a wide range of areas, including water, food, environment, construction materials, agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, as well as transformer oils. Water tests accounted for the largest share of total inspections, followed by food and liquids, with a noticeable increase in environmental sample testing.

During the second quarter of 2025, the laboratory performed 76,696 water tests, 44,653 food and liquid tests, 11,614 environmental tests, 3,843 transformer oil tests, 1,709 construction materials tests, 161 agricultural tests, 66 tests for medical devices and equipment, 50 tests for cosmetics, 165 general tests, in addition to providing 10 general consultations.

The Emirates Metrology Institute continued its role in ensuring measurement accuracy and calibration, issuing 300 calibration certificates, carrying out 9 inter-laboratory comparisons, delivering around 11 consulting services, and providing 4 training programs. These specialized efforts contribute to the development of the national quality infrastructure.

As for the Conformity and Standards Services Sector, it issued 1,444 individual service conformity certificates, renewed 2,832 certificates, renewed 108 product conformity certificates, issued 21 new product conformity certificates, granted 38 product registration certificates, approved 21 new Trustmark licenses, and renewed 8 existing licenses.

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council continues to operate under a comprehensive strategy aimed at elevating quality standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, ensuring consumer safety, and supporting the competitiveness of the local economy. This is achieved by applying the latest inspection and control systems and adopting leading international practices in the field.