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By Andrew G Kireta Jr.
Jan 06, 2026
Helping Our World Work Better. Of the 45 words in our current mission statement, these five cut to the core of our global relevance. More so than the “International” in our name, under which we’ve been operating for the past 25 years. These five words embody our global ambition, which belies our U.S. founding and headquarters location – not to be a developer of standards for the U.S. market or U.S. industry, but to be the developer of standards that the world relies on for safety, performance, and reliability. Global standards that the world trusts regardless of where products and systems are manufactured, built, tested, certified, or used.
Our reach is truly global. Greater than 50 percent of our standards sales come from outside the U.S. Our standards are referenced in policy, regulation, rule, or law over 9,000 times in more than 90 countries around the world. We’ve constructed partnership memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with over 125 national or regional standards bodies representing over 150 countries. And if not used directly, ASTM standards often serve as the foundation for other regional or national standards used throughout the world.
Our relevance is also truly global. Most of our standards, test methods, laboratory services, training and e-learning courses, and certifications are geography-agnostic. They’re globally relevant, serving global industries, and operating in global markets.
How did we, and how do we, as a U.S.-domiciled standards-developing organization, establish global reach and relevance for such a large body of our standards, technical content, and services? We did it one industry, one member at a time. With nearly 9,000 members from countries other than the U.S., we have 9,000 experts and voices to ensure that their local or regional market, environment, manufacturing, and construction context, complexities, and needs are embodied in our work.
In 2026, we’ll also have an additional advantage as Amer bin Ahmed takes the helm as Chair of the ASTM International Board of Directors. Amer, a UAE native formerly of Dubai and currently residing in Abu Dhabi, is no stranger to ASTM. He joined the ASTM Board in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the building construction products sector (gypsum, insulation, and other products) across the Middle East and Asia. Before joining the Board, with his prestigious presence in the building construction space, in an area booming with construction, Amer saw the value of applying the unmatched technical quality of ASTM’s standards across the building sector, where strong standards were necessary to lay strong foundations for continuously bigger, more ambitious building projects constructed with the latest technologies at unprecedented speeds.
Amer continuously advocated not only for the adoption of the latest ASTM standards and services in construction and other industries in the UAE and countries throughout the Middle East, but also for local participation in the ASTM standards-development process. His passionate belief in the global relevance of ASTM led to the founding of our UAE Regional Membership Chapter. Amer serves as a member of the advisory council for the chapter, which brings together key leaders and engineers in the UAE who are focused on aspects of standardization for the built environment.
A passion for innovation and the application of new technology to advance economic development has also led to Amer’s interest and involvement in sustainability, additive and advanced manufacturing, and advanced infrastructure.
As Amer takes up the gavel to lead the Board in 2026, I look forward to his vision to accelerate our ever-growing global relevance. And I look to champion the continued efforts of the members, partners, and staff that underpin our mission to help our world work better. ●
January / February 2026
