@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ ignore_missing_imports = True
 ignore_missing_imports = True
 
 
+# OpenTelemetry is an optional dependency and may not be installed in all test
+# environments (e.g. to verify core functionality works without it).
+[mypy-opentelemetry.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
 # ==============================================================================
 # PACKAGE-SPECIFIC OVERRIDES & EXCEPTIONS
 # ==============================================================================
 
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+"""OpenTelemetry helpers for resolving and instantiating interceptors."""
+
+from typing import Any, Optional
+
+from google.api_core import _feature_gating_helpers
+from google.api_core.client_options import ClientOptions
+
+_TRACER_PROVIDER = "tracer_provider"
+
+
+def is_otel_capabilities_enabled(
+    client_options: Optional[ClientOptions | dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    env_var: str = "GOOGLE_CLOUD_PYTHON_TRACING_ENABLED",
+) -> bool:
+    """Checks if OTel capabilities are enabled and installed.
+
+    Args:
+        client_options: The client options object or dictionary.
+        env_var: The environment variable to check for enablement.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if enabled and installed, False otherwise.
+    """
+    is_tracing_enabled = _feature_gating_helpers.resolve_feature_flags(
+        env_var=env_var,
+        feature_key=_TRACER_PROVIDER,
+        configuration=client_options,
+    )
+
+    if is_tracing_enabled:
+        try:
+            import opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc as otel_grpc  # type: ignore[import-not-found] # noqa: F401
+
+            return True
+        except ImportError:
+            pass
+
+    return False
+
+
+def apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel(
+    channel: Any,
+    client_options: Optional[ClientOptions | dict[str, Any]] = None,
+) -> Any:
+    """Applies OTel capabilities (like tracing) to the channel.
+
+    Precondition: This function assumes `is_otel_capabilities_enabled` has already
+    been called and returned `True`, i.e. in the Client. At this time
+    this function is not intended to be standalone.
+
+    Args:
+        channel: The raw gRPC channel to wrap.
+        client_options: The client options object or dictionary.
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The intercepted channel.
+
+    Raises:
+        ImportError: If OpenTelemetry packages are not installed and this function
+            is called directly (bypassing the precondition).
+    """
+    import opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc as otel_grpc  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
+
+    tracer_provider = None
+    if isinstance(client_options, dict):
+        tracer_provider = client_options.get(_TRACER_PROVIDER)
+    elif client_options is not None:
+        tracer_provider = getattr(client_options, _TRACER_PROVIDER, None)
+
+    interceptor = otel_grpc.client_interceptor(tracer_provider=tracer_provider)
+
+    # We use OTel's own compatible applier to avoid standard gRPC TypeError.
+    return otel_grpc.intercept_channel(channel, interceptor)
@@ -48,9 +48,13 @@ def get_client_cert():
 
 """
 
+import typing
 import warnings
 from typing import Callable, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
+if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import opentelemetry.trace
+
 from google.api_core import general_helpers
 
 
@@ -98,6 +102,8 @@ class ClientOptions(object):
             `googleapis.com`. If both `api_endpoint` and `universe_domain` are set,
             then `api_endpoint` is used as the service endpoint. If `api_endpoint` is
             not specified, the format will be `{service}.{universe_domain}`.
+        tracer_provider (Optional["opentelemetry.trace.TracerProvider"]): The OpenTelemetry tracer provider to use
+            for tracing in supported libraries.
 
     Raises:
         ValueError: If both ``client_cert_source`` and ``client_encrypted_cert_source``
@@ -117,6 +123,7 @@ def __init__(
         api_key: Optional[str] = None,
         api_audience: Optional[str] = None,
         universe_domain: Optional[str] = None,
+        tracer_provider: Optional["opentelemetry.trace.TracerProvider"] = None,
     ):
         if credentials_file is not None:
             warnings.warn(general_helpers._CREDENTIALS_FILE_WARNING, DeprecationWarning)
@@ -136,6 +143,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.api_key = api_key
         self.api_audience = api_audience
         self.universe_domain = universe_domain
+        self.tracer_provider = tracer_provider
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return "ClientOptions: " + repr(self.__dict__)
 
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ dependencies = [
   "proto-plus >= 1.26.1, < 2.0.0",
   "google-auth >= 2.14.1, < 3.0.0",
   "requests >= 2.33.0, < 3.0.0",
+  "opentelemetry-api >= 1.44.0, < 2.0.0",
 ]
 dynamic = ["version"]
 
@@ -64,6 +65,12 @@ grpc = [
   "grpcio-status >= 1.59.0, < 2.0.0",
   "grpcio-status >= 1.75.1, < 2.0.0; python_version >= '3.14'",
 ]
+tracing = [
+  "opentelemetry-instrumentation-grpc >= 0.65b0, < 1.0.0",
+]
+testing = [
+  "opentelemetry-sdk >= 1.44.0, < 2.0.0",
+]
 
 
 [tool.setuptools.dynamic]
 
@@ -12,3 +12,6 @@ requests==2.33.0
 grpcio==1.59.0
 grpcio-status==1.59.0
 proto-plus==1.26.1
+opentelemetry-api==1.44.0
+opentelemetry-instrumentation-grpc==0.65b0
+opentelemetry-sdk==1.44.0
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ grpcio==1.59.0
 grpcio-status==1.59.0
 proto-plus==1.26.1
 aiohttp==3.13.4
+opentelemetry-api==1.44.0
+opentelemetry-instrumentation-grpc==0.65b0
+opentelemetry-sdk==1.44.0
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 from re import match
 
 import pytest
-
 from google.api_core import client_options
 
 from ..helpers import warn_deprecated_credentials_file
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ def get_client_encrypted_cert():
 
 
 def test_constructor():
+    mock_tracer_provider = object()
     with warn_deprecated_credentials_file():
         options = client_options.ClientOptions(
             api_endpoint="foo.googleapis.com",
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def test_constructor():
             ],
             api_audience="foo2.googleapis.com",
             universe_domain="googleapis.com",
+            tracer_provider=mock_tracer_provider,
         )
 
     assert options.api_endpoint == "foo.googleapis.com"
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ def test_constructor():
     ]
     assert options.api_audience == "foo2.googleapis.com"
     assert options.universe_domain == "googleapis.com"
+    assert options.tracer_provider is mock_tracer_provider
 
 
 def test_constructor_with_encrypted_cert_source():
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ def test_repr():
             "scopes",
             "api_key",
             "api_audience",
+            "tracer_provider",
         ]
     )
     options = client_options.ClientOptions(api_endpoint="foo.googleapis.com")
 
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import sys
+from unittest import mock
+
+from google.api_core import _observability
+from google.api_core.client_options import ClientOptions
+
+
+def test_is_otel_capabilities_enabled_disabled(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GOOGLE_CLOUD_PYTHON_TRACING_ENABLED", "false")
+    assert not _observability.is_otel_capabilities_enabled()
+
+
+def test_is_otel_capabilities_enabled_otel_missing(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GOOGLE_CLOUD_PYTHON_TRACING_ENABLED", "true")
+    # Simulate OTel not being installed by blocking imports
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc", None)
+
+    assert not _observability.is_otel_capabilities_enabled()
+
+
+def test_is_otel_capabilities_enabled_otel_installed(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GOOGLE_CLOUD_PYTHON_TRACING_ENABLED", "true")
+
+    mock_otel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_otel_grpc = mock_otel.instrumentation.grpc
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "opentelemetry", mock_otel)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation", mock_otel.instrumentation
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc", mock_otel_grpc
+    )
+
+    assert _observability.is_otel_capabilities_enabled()
+
+
+def test_apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel_enabled_otel_installed(monkeypatch):
+    mock_channel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_intercepted_channel = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_otel_grpc = mock_otel.instrumentation.grpc
+    mock_interceptor = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.return_value = mock_interceptor
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.return_value = mock_intercepted_channel
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "opentelemetry", mock_otel)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation", mock_otel.instrumentation
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc", mock_otel_grpc
+    )
+
+    result = _observability.apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel(mock_channel)
+
+    assert result is mock_intercepted_channel
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.assert_called_once_with(tracer_provider=None)
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_channel, mock_interceptor
+    )
+
+
+def test_apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel_enabled_via_config(monkeypatch):
+    # Tracing enabled via config (tracer_provider is set)
+    mock_tracer_provider = object()
+    options = ClientOptions(tracer_provider=mock_tracer_provider)
+
+    mock_channel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_intercepted_channel = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_otel_grpc = mock_otel.instrumentation.grpc
+    mock_interceptor = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.return_value = mock_interceptor
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.return_value = mock_intercepted_channel
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "opentelemetry", mock_otel)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation", mock_otel.instrumentation
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc", mock_otel_grpc
+    )
+
+    result = _observability.apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel(
+        mock_channel, client_options=options
+    )
+
+    assert result is mock_intercepted_channel
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.assert_called_once_with(
+        tracer_provider=mock_tracer_provider
+    )
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_channel, mock_interceptor
+    )
+
+
+def test_apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel_enabled_via_dict_config(monkeypatch):
+    # Tracing enabled via dict config
+    mock_tracer_provider = object()
+    options = {"tracer_provider": mock_tracer_provider}
+
+    mock_channel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_intercepted_channel = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel = mock.Mock()
+    mock_otel_grpc = mock_otel.instrumentation.grpc
+    mock_interceptor = mock.Mock()
+
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.return_value = mock_interceptor
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.return_value = mock_intercepted_channel
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "opentelemetry", mock_otel)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation", mock_otel.instrumentation
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setitem(
+        sys.modules, "opentelemetry.instrumentation.grpc", mock_otel_grpc
+    )
+
+    result = _observability.apply_otel_capabilities_to_channel(
+        mock_channel, client_options=options
+    )
+
+    assert result is mock_intercepted_channel
+    mock_otel_grpc.client_interceptor.assert_called_once_with(
+        tracer_provider=mock_tracer_provider
+    )
+    mock_otel_grpc.intercept_channel.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_channel, mock_interceptor
+    )