Accreditation driving competitiveness, trust and sustainable trade in Egypt

Cairo, 21 July 2026 – Through the EU-funded TIGARA project, UNIDO is supporting Egypt in transforming accreditation into a strategic driver of market access, investment confidence and sustainable industrial development. By strengthening quality infrastructure and reinforcing trust in products, services and institutions, accreditation is helping position quality at the centre of Egypt's competitiveness agenda.

To mark World Accreditation Day 2026, celebrated under the theme “Innovation, Trust and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation”, senior representatives of the Government of Egypt, the European Union, UNIDO and the national quality infrastructure community gathered in Cairo around a clear message: accreditation is not only a technical requirement, but a strategic enabler of market access, investment confidence and sustainable industrial transformation.

Opening the event, H.E. Eng. Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, emphasized the importance of placing quality at the centre of industrial growth and competitiveness. “Accreditation is a cornerstone for improving product quality, expanding exports and accelerating Egypt’s industrial transformation” he stated. 

H.E. Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Ambassador of the European Union to Egypt, highlighted the role of trusted quality infrastructure in facilitating trade, investment and economic cooperation. “UNIDO is a strategic partner in streamlining quality systems and strengthening trust between institutions, businesses and markets”, she declared.

A keynote presentation by Eng. Brahim Houla, Chair of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Initiative (GLOBAL ACI), underscored the increasing relevance of accreditation as global markets place greater emphasis on transparency, sustainability and digital traceability. “Accreditation importance is growing and essential to ensure trust and respond to market requirements”. 

The high-level panel discussion explored how accreditation can support emerging priorities such as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and Digital Product Passports, enabling companies to demonstrate compliance, credibility and sustainability performance in increasingly demanding markets.

The celebration reaffirmed the value of strong cooperation between Egypt's quality infrastructure institutions, the European Union and UNIDO. Through TIGARA, this partnership continues to support Egyptian enterprises in meeting international requirements, accessing new markets and leveraging quality as a catalyst for competitiveness, innovation and sustainable industrial development.

World Accreditation Day 2026 in Egypt. Left to right: Mrs. Gihane Bayoumi, UNIDO Deputy Representative; H.E. Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst; H.E. Eng. Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry; Eng. Brahim Houla, Chair of GLOBAL ACI; and Eng. Mohamed Hassan Abdel Halim, Executive Director of the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC).

For more information, please contact: Ebe Muschialli – e.muschialli [at] unido.org (e[dot]muschialli[at]unido[dot]org)