Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the international safety testing, certification and inspections company, said it has relocated its Middle East regional headquarters to Dubai Science Park (DSP), a freezone community dedicated to facilitating and fostering the growth of the UAE’s science sector.

UL, which has 159 facilities globally and employs over 12,000 staff within its family of companies, was previously located at the Dubai Airport Freezone.

Announcing the move, the company said DSP was a better strategic fit with UL’s regional development plans. Following its expansion and the  opening of its commercial and engineering operations, UL was in need of a new premises that better suited its new requirements.

The newly-formed business community supports both SMEs and global firms looking for a regional base for their Middle East operations, by facilitating a custom-built yet vibrant community.

With over 280 companies currently located within the community, DSP is committed to the industry’s success by bringing together business, regulators and Government in partnership, said the company in a statement.

UL provides knowledge, certification, validation, testing, inspection, auditing, training and expertise to help customers navigate growing complexities across the supply chain from compliance and regulatory issues to trade challenges and market access. In 2014, nearly 22 billion UL marks were found on products, across 113 countries.

Welcoming the group, Marwan Abdulaziz, the executive director at DSP, said: "UL fits perfectly into our vibrant business partner community, and we are delighted to announce the opening of their new regional headquarters at DSP."

"It is a globally recognised brand in the science industry, with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions from the public adoption of electricity to new breakthroughs in sustainability, renewable energy and nanotechnology. And we are the region’s first and only free zone community that serves the full value chain of the science sector, including science entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinational enterprises," he added.  

UL’s regional vice president to the Middle East, expressed delight at moving its regional HQ to Dubai Science Park.

"UL’s leadership felt that both businesses are aligned and hence it would make sense to establish the new regional headquarters in DSP. This will allow us to work even more closely with the UAE and other Middle East Authorities, and our customers to ensure a safe living and working environment. Being based out of Dubai will also help UL as we establish more footprint for our expansion plans in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar," he added.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Malik, Consul General of the United States said: “I was very pleased to learn that UL has identified Dubai as a welcoming home to establish its facility. From Dubai, UL can access not only the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region but also Africa, in large part because of the excellent transportation and communications networks linking Dubai to the world.

“What better place to base itself than in Dubai Science Park where UL can contribute to the country’s and region’s innovation and technological future, improving the lives of UAE and other citizens in countless sectors,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service