Sep 01, 2016

Today, ASTM International announced that it would hold its board meeting and dozens of events in the United Arab Emirates on 16-20 October 2016.

“Gulf leaders in business and government increasingly demand ASTM International standards to help them drive growth in industries such as petroleum, construction, and more,” said Ralph Paroli, the organization’s board chairman who directs research and development in measurement science and standards at the National Research Council of Canada. “Our board is excited to be hosting our meeting and related events in such a dynamic region.”

Paroli will lead the board meeting on Monday and Wednesday in Dubai.

On Tuesday, board members will hold about 25 events and meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  This includes:
•    meetings with companies and trade associations from many fields (eg., oil and gas, steel, concrete, corrosion, building facades, piping, 3D printing, nuclear energy, and more);
•    roundtables with representatives from leading laboratories;
•    meetings with government leaders, including the UAE’s standards body (ESMA);
•    discussing metrology topics with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Standardization Organization of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GSO), and ESMA
•    speaking engagements with students and others at top universities;
•    a workshop with amusement park industry leaders; and more.

In addition, on Thursday, ASTM International and the International Code Council will co-host a Sustainable Construction workshop in Dubai, supported in part by the U.S. International Trade Administration.

Board member H.E. Nabil Molla is helping organize the events.  As Secretary General of the GSO, he helps coordinate standards and conformity assessment activities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, and Bahrain. “ASTM International is building on its already strong commitment to serve as a partner to the Gulf,” he said. “I welcome organizing this event in the UAE as a member of the GSO and I wish to have a very productive and positive discussion. I look forward to this opportunity to showcase how high-quality standards support businesses and people throughout our region.”

This year, ASTM International and GSO are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their memorandum of understanding.  ASTM International also has memoranda of understanding with the standards bodies in every Gulf nation.  Hundreds of experts from the region serve on ASTM International’s technical committees, and ASTM standards have been cited more than 4,000 times in the region’s regulations and codes. “I believe that this meeting can identify further areas for cooperation and mutual information exchange under the MoU,” according to Molla.

In recent years, ASTM International and GSO have held many joint workshops and virtual events, while also providing many experts, exchanging of information, and sponsoring events such as ARABLAB, the Dubai Fire Safety Forum, and other major conferences that relate to standardization.

Since 2000, ASTM International Board meetings have been held in Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Media Inquiries: Nathan Osburn, director, corporate communications, tel. +1.610.832.9603, nosburn@astm.org
Business Contact: Nick Ecart, director, business development, tel. +44.793.2103758, necart@astm.org 

Release #10159