US-based ASTM International, an international standards organisation, has announced that it will hold its board meeting and dozens of events in the UAE, from October 16 to 20.

ASTM International is an organisation that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.

Ralph Paroli, board chairman who directs research and development in measurement science and standards at the National Research Council of Canada, said: “Gulf leaders in business and government increasingly demand ASTM International standards to help them drive growth in industries such as petroleum, construction, and more.”

"Our board is excited to be hosting our meeting and related events in such a dynamic region,” he added.

Paroli will lead the board meeting on two days in Dubai, said a statement from ASTM International.

On one of the days, board members will hold about 25 events and meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  This events will include:

•Meetings with companies and trade associations from many fields (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, Standardisation Organisation 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.

Additionally, ASTM International and the International Code Council will co-host a Sustainable Construction workshop in Dubai, supported in part by the US International Trade Administration, added a statement.

Board member Nabil Molla is helping organise 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.

He said: “ASTM International is building on its already strong commitment to serve as a partner to the Gulf.”

“I welcome organising 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,” he added.

This year, ASTM International and GSO are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their memorandum of understanding (MoU). 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," he 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 standardisation.

Since 2000, ASTM International Board meetings have been held in Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the US, it said. – TradeArabia News Service