© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Many institutions allocate resources to assessment by external quality assurance bodies. Most such schemes aim to enhance students’ educational experiences. This elusive goal may be attainable by creating an inquiry-based institutional dynamism, which resonates with the main principles of learning organisations. This article discusses findings from a case study exploring the influence of US-based accreditation experiences of an Arabic higher education institution on its development as a learning organisation. Employing a mixed methodology, data was primarily analysed with a specific learning organisation framework based on three building blocks: supportive learning environment, learning practices and leadership that supports learning. This relationship between external quality assurance and becoming a learning organisation in higher education institutions has not been studied widely. Thus, knowledge and recommendations based on this empirical study may offer insights to researchers and local, regional and international practitioners.