Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council has organised an awareness workshop to introduce the updated lifeguard certification programme for professionals working to safeguard swimming pools, beaches, and shallow water bodies in the emirate.
The workshop was organised in cooperation with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, and Union Assessment Centre, and was attended by representatives of government entities, assessment and training bodies, hotels and resorts, sports clubs, facilities management companies, and pool and beach operators.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the programme updates and revised conformity requirements, helping to standardise and develop the qualification and accreditation procedures for lifeguarding professionals, and elevating safety standards at aquatic facilities across the Emirate in line with international best practices and standards.
Suhail Al Hashemi, Head of the Conformity Assessment Bodies Section at the Council, presented the programme’s key achievements, noting that more than 5,500 conformity certificates have been issued since its launch. Nearly 3,200 lifeguards have been certified since 2025, and three new assessment centres have been accredited in Abu Dhabi.
Union Assessment Centre (UAC) delivered a detailed presentation on the certification pathway, covering qualification requirements, the induction programme, theoretical and practical assessment mechanisms, and certificate issuance and renewal procedures, along with the electronic registration process via the council’s and the centre’s portals.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport and the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi also outlined the regulatory framework governing the operation of lifeguarding services at aquatic facilities, including safety requirements, incident reporting mechanisms, and the responsibilities of operators in ensuring compliance with applicable regulations in the Emirates.
The workshop featured an interactive session that discussed a number of technical and regulatory topics, as well as future directions for leveraging smart technologies and artificial intelligence to strengthen the safety ecosystem at aquatic facilities.
Badr Khamis Al Shumaili, Executive Director of the Conformity and Standards Services Sector at the Council, said that the updated lifeguard certification programme represents an important strategic step in developing the professional conformity ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, and reflects the Council’s commitment to applying the highest international standards to ensure the readiness and competence of lifeguarding professionals, thereby enhancing safety and protecting lives.
As part of the workshop, Dr Fatima Al Hamadi, Senior Studies Specialist in the Council's Conformity and Standards Services Sector, reviewed the programme, which was first launched in 2015 based on the Abu Dhabi Occupational Requirements (ADOT). It was then updated in 2023, in alignment
with the ISO/IEC 17024 international standard for the certification of persons, and further strengthened in 2026 with new competence requirements and the addition of the shallow-water lifeguard category.
