The accreditation standard for certification bodies that certify the competence of individuals — the foundation of SIRA security licensing, DHA healthcare credentialing, and every other UAE and Saudi professional certification with regulatory standing.
ISO/IEC 17024 specifies requirements for bodies operating certification schemes for persons. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, regulatory and professional licensing frameworks have been built on ISO/IEC 17024-accredited certification bodies. SIRA in Dubai requires ISO/IEC 17024-accredited certifications for security professional licensing. DHA and DOH use competence certification for healthcare credentialing. Without accreditation, certificates issued by a certification body are simply not accepted by these authorities.
Establishing a certification body that will be accepted by SIRA, DHA, SAAC, and other UAE and Saudi authorities requires deep technical expertise in ISO/IEC 17024 and specific knowledge of each authority's expectations. Nathan ISO Consulting has built specific capability in this area.
Regulatory and Legal Compliance — UAE
| Regulatory Framework | How This Standard Applies |
|---|---|
| SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency) — Dubai | SIRA requires that security professional certifications used for licensing — security officer, security trainer, security operations manager — be issued by ISO/IEC 17024-accredited bodies. Unaccredited certifications are not accepted for SIRA licensing |
| DHA (Dubai Health Authority) — Healthcare Professional Licensing | DHA uses competence certification for healthcare professional licensing and credentialing. Certification bodies providing qualifications accepted for DHA licensing must meet ISO/IEC 17024 standards |
| DOH (Department of Health — Abu Dhabi) | DOH healthcare professional credentialing and licensing includes competence certification from accredited bodies |
| DAC (Dubai Accreditation Center) | DAC accredits certification of persons bodies in Dubai. DAC accreditation is required for certifications accepted by SIRA and DHA in Dubai |
| ADAS (Abu Dhabi Accreditation System) | ADAS accredits certification of persons bodies in Abu Dhabi. ADAS accreditation is required for certifications accepted by DOH and Abu Dhabi authorities |
| UAE National Qualifications Framework (NQF) | ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation is required for vocational and professional competence certifications to receive NQF recognition |
Regulatory and Legal Compliance — Saudi Arabia
| Regulatory Framework | How This Standard Applies |
|---|---|
| SAAC (Saudi Accreditation Center) | The Saudi national accreditation body for ISO/IEC 17024 certification of persons bodies. SAAC accreditation is required for certifications accepted in Saudi regulatory and government frameworks |
| HRDF / Hadaf | Hadaf's vocational qualification programmes prefer ISO/IEC 17024-accredited certifications as credible competence evidence |
| TVTC (Technical and Vocational Training Corporation) | TVTC vocational qualification frameworks increasingly require ISO/IEC 17024-accredited bodies for technical competence certifications |
| Ministry of Human Resources — Professional Licensing | Saudi professional licensing across regulated sectors references ISO/IEC 17024-accredited certifications as competence evidence |
Where This Is Most Relevant — Key Locations
| Location | Industry / Application Context |
|---|---|
| Dubai — Security industry (SIRA licensing) | SIRA-required certifications for security officers, trainers, and operations managers must be from ISO/IEC 17024-accredited bodies. The largest volume application in Dubai |
| Dubai and Abu Dhabi — Healthcare professions (DHA, DOH) | Healthcare professional credentialing using competence certification from accredited bodies |
| UAE — Construction and engineering | Professional competence certifications for site supervisors, safety officers, and quality managers |
| Saudi Arabia — Vocational qualifications (all cities) | TVTC and Hadaf vocational frameworks requiring accredited competence certification bodies |
| UAE and Saudi — HSE professionals (NEBOSH, IOSH) | Safety qualifications widely used in UAE and Saudi contractor qualification systems |
What the Standard Requires
| Requirement Area | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|
| Impartiality | Structural independence and commercial pressure safeguards — the foundation of certificate credibility |
| Certification scheme documentation | Job task analysis, competence framework, examination specifications, and decision criteria |
| Examination development and security | Item development, review, banking, administration, and result security — calibrated to the stakes of the certification |
| Candidate management | Application, eligibility verification, examination administration, results notification, and appeals |
| Certificant maintenance | CPD requirements, periodic reassessment, and recertification processes |
| Impartiality committee | Independent oversight body ensuring certification decisions are free from commercial pressure |
Why Nathan ISO Consulting — What We Do Differently
Nathan ISO Consulting has built specific expertise in ISO/IEC 17024 for UAE and Saudi regulatory contexts. We know what DAC assessors examine for SIRA-related certifications, what DHA expects from healthcare credentialing bodies, and how to build examination security systems appropriate to the regulatory stakes involved.
| What We Do Differently | How It Benefits Your Project |
|---|---|
| We design schemes from job task analysis, not templates | The scheme must reflect what competent practitioners actually do. We conduct job task analysis with subject matter experts before writing any scheme requirements |
| We know examination security requirements for regulated certifications | SIRA certifications and healthcare credentialing require rigorous examination security. We build item banking, administration security, and anti-cheating controls appropriate to the stakes |
| We understand UAE accreditation body expectations (DAC, ADAS) | DAC and ADAS assessors have specific expectations for impartiality committee composition and scheme documentation. We know these expectations before walking into the assessment |
| We design standard setting processes correctly | Determining passing scores for regulated certifications requires appropriate standard setting methodology — Angoff, Bookmark, or equivalent. We design the right method for your certification context |
Frequently asked questions
Accreditation provides independent verification that the certification body operates to international standards of impartiality and competence. Without it, certificates are not accepted by SIRA, DHA, DOH, or other UAE regulatory bodies.
Yes. SIRA requires that security professional certifications accepted for licensing be issued by ISO/IEC 17024-accredited bodies. Unaccredited certifications are not accepted for SIRA licensing in Dubai.
A systematic study identifying the tasks performed, knowledge applied, and judgments made by competent practitioners. It is the empirical foundation of a certification scheme — ensuring the certificate reflects real-world competence.
The process of determining the passing score — the score distinguishing competent from not-yet-competent candidates. Multiple methods exist; choice depends on examination format and regulatory stakes.
A body required by ISO/IEC 17024 overseeing and safeguarding certification impartiality. Its composition must ensure independence from training providers, employers, and others with commercial interests in outcomes.
ISO/IEC 17024 does not prohibit dual roles but requires robust structural separation and impartiality safeguards. We design the appropriate separation arrangements accepted by UAE accreditation bodies.
Six to twelve months. Examination development and scheme documentation are typically the critical path.
Yes. Candidate identity verification and examination security apply regardless of delivery modality. Online proctoring requires specific security controls we design for your examination context.
The UAE National Qualifications Framework provides structured qualification levels. ISO/IEC 17024-accredited competence certifications can receive NQF recognition, enhancing their credibility in the UAE labour market.
ISO/IEC 17021 governs bodies certifying organisations against management system standards. ISO/IEC 17024 governs bodies certifying individual competence. Different accreditation standards for different certification activities.
Talk to Nathan ISO Consulting
Tell us what competence your scheme certifies, your regulatory context, and your target accreditation body. We scope the project from there.
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