First-of-its-kind workshop focuses on Arab and U.S. standards and conformance

Co-located with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) General Assembly in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Arab and U.S. Standards and Conformance: Tools for Business and Regulation brought together over 100 stakeholders representing industry, government, and academia from the U.S. and the Arab world.

Discussions focused chiefly on petroleum and energy, construction and engineering, and the U.S. and Arab standards and conformity assessment procedures that facilitate development in these industries.

S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO, said:

"Trade and economic development, energy management, consumer protection and safety, these are just a few examples of where American and Arab interests and priorities overlap. Cooperation and collaboration on standards and conformity assessment practices will bring our shared interests to the forefront and advance trade between the two regions."

Waleed Al Mansouri, Director General of the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology, stated, "Through increased transparency and mutual understanding, our approaches to standards, conformity assessment and technical regulations will move closer together, incorporating the best of the United States and the Arab world."

The event was organized into three panels, each with representatives from both the U.S. and the Arab perspective. Panel one, Arab and U.S. Standards and Conformance - Tools for Business and Regulation, provided perspectives on how business can strategically leverage standards and conformity assessment to promote trade between the Arab world and the United States.

The panel featured senior leaders from America's private sector, as well as high-level officials from the Governments of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and the United States.

Petroleum and Energy, the second panel of the day, examined the industry perspective on standards used in the petroleum and energy sectors. Panelists introduced existing needs and suggested new areas for cooperation between U.S. and Arab stakeholders.

The workshop's final panel - also from the industry perspective - was centered on Construction and Engineering, and how standards-based solutions can help meet existing needs and address emerging challenges in this sector.

David Hamod, President & CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, said that the meeting served as a "very important step in our efforts to forge even closer commercial ties between the Arab world and the United States. This capacity-building workshop brought together some extraordinary people, and I am hopeful that it will help to encourage best practices, break down trade barriers and, in the long run, promote a better quality of life."