ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in Saudi Arabia

ISO 17025 accreditation in Saudi Arabia at a glance

The Saudi Accreditation Center (SAAC) accredits testing and calibration laboratories in Saudi Arabia; it became a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement for testing and calibration under ISO/IEC 17025, and for inspection under ISO/IEC 17020, in August 2021, and extended that status to medical testing under ISO 15189 in December 2023. Signatory status supports acceptance of accredited results by the other economies in the arrangement, which matters to laboratories serving exporters and international clients. The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) offers calibration services and proficiency testing to accredited laboratories and to those seeking accreditation. Accreditation is granted by SAAC after its own assessment, never by a consultant. Sterling's Riyadh office prepares laboratories for that assessment: the management system, method validation and verification, measurement uncertainty, metrological traceability, proficiency testing planning and internal audits, with staff training through Sterling Academy. The questions Saudi laboratories ask about the route are answered below.

Who needs ISO 17025 in Saudi Arabia, and what happens without it

In Saudi Arabia the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Testing laboratoriesSAAC accredits to ISO/IEC 17025 and is an ILAC MRA signatory for testing.
• Calibration laboratoriesSAAC is an ILAC MRA signatory for calibration.
• Industrial and medical device manufacturers with in-house labsAccredited results support product conformity and SFDA submissions.

ISO 17025 requirements in Saudi Arabia

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO/IEC 17025 requires a laboratory to prove six things about its competence and the results it reports.

In Saudi Arabia these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO/IEC 17025 explained →

• ISO 17025 requirements, clause by clause in plain language
• The documents ISO 17025 expects
• ISO 17025 checklist

How to get ISO 17025 accreditation in Saudi Arabia

One team from the Riyadh office carries the work from scoping to accreditation. Clients across the Kingdom, from the Riyadh office; on-site where the work needs it and remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against ISO/IEC 17025 and the Saudi requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The accreditation body assessmentThe accreditation body assesses and decides. Sterling supports the assessment.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• ISO 17025 gap analysis
• ISO 17025 implementation plan
• ISO 17025 internal audit

How long does ISO 17025 accreditation take in Saudi Arabia?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Saudi Arabia these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of tests or calibrations in the requested scope
• Availability of method validation and uncertainty data
• Proficiency testing results available before assessment

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the ISO 17025 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 17025 accreditation cost in Saudi Arabia?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the accreditation body’s fees, which are quoted separately. In Saudi Arabia these factors move both.

• Size of the accreditation scope
• Accreditation body application and assessment fees, separate from consulting
• Equipment calibration and reference material needs

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of ISO 17025

ISO 17025 consultants and assessors in Saudi Arabia

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; the accreditation body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 17025 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Saudi Arabia are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

ISO 17025 in Saudi Arabia: questions clients ask

More on ISO 17025 for Saudi organisations

• ISO/IEC 17025: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO/IEC 17025
• Calibration laboratories: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Chemical and microbiological testing: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Construction materials testing: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Environmental laboratories: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Food and agriculture: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Government and forensic laboratories: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• In-house manufacturing laboratories: ISO/IEC 17025 for the sector
• Sterling in Riyadh
• ISO 17025 accreditation in Saudi Arabia and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Saudi businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Saudi Arabia often combine ISO/IEC 17025 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in Saudi Arabia →