SASO signed a consulting contract with the Saudi Health Council (SHC) in the field of qualifying SHC in quality management systems, in accordance with the requirements of the Standard Specification ISO 9001:2015. The contract was signed by SASO's Deputy Governor for Quality and Conformity, Eng. Saud bin Rashid Al-Askar, and SHC's Assistant Secretary-General, Dr. Abdullah bin Awad Al-Hariri.

     Eng. Saud Al-Askar said that SASO supports public and private establishments to improve their managerial work and the quality of their services and products, through the Technical and Managerial Consultation Center launched at the beginning of 2017. The Center qualifies and trains organizations in all management and quality systems, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 17025, etc.

     Also, Eng. Al-Askar expressed his hope that the partnership between SASO and SHC enhances quality practices and applications and enables SHC to comply all its managerial work with the international quality systems and the requirements of the Standard Specification ISO 9001:2015. 

     For his part, SHC's Assistant Secretary-General, Dr. Abdullah bin Awad Al-Hariri, stressed that the agreement will help SHC meet the requirements of the International Standard Specification ISO 9001:2015, issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), located in Geneva, for bodies meeting the requirements. Through this agreement, SHC will benefit from the experience of SASO in the field of supervision and qualification in quality management system, according to the requirements of ISO. He added that this agreement will create more fields for the mutual use of available resources and the exchange of expertise between SHC and SASO, in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030 and the integration among all country's sectors.

     Moreover, Dr. Al-Hariri identified that this agreement will enrich the process of qualifying and improving the capabilities of manpower at the General Secretariat of SHC. He pointed out that the agreement will provide SHC with the latest tools and methods in quality management system, in accordance with ISO requirements, and consulting and technical services, which are offered by SASO. Mutual efforts, exerted by both parties, will establish constructive cooperation and strong relationship between the two sectors. As a result, a new opportunity is open to clarify and assess the current situation of performance and follow a new method that would achieve excellence and productivity, save in the cost of used resources, reduce expenditures and enable SHC to move towards the application of comprehensive quality management at the General Secretariat of SHC and its centers which have the sufficient tools and methods that facilitate this improvement.

     Furthermore, Dr. Al-Hariri praised the efforts of SASO in the field of providing consulting and technical services and qualifying for quality management system, besides supervising the implementation of qualification process to meet the requirements of the International Standard Specification ISO 9001:2015.