NIST GSIG: Middle East Standards Related Activities

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Middle East Standards Related Activities

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SSD works with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and with other U.S. Government Agencies to establish positions on standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment related issues in discussions and negotiations pertaining to countries in the Middle East. The following links provide more information on those activities.

1. ANSI Regional Standing Committee on Europe, the Middle East and Africa
2. Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements and Dialogues
3. Workshops
4. Standards Expert
5. Country Links, Information and Background
6. Other Links

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Regional Standing Committee for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa

The ANSI RSC for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa is one of three ANSI Regional Standing Committees. The other two RSCs cover the Asia-Pacific and the Americas. These committees have been established to provide input from the ANSI perspective to regional activities in the areas of standardization and conformity assessment. They also provide a framework for raising standards-related problems. NIST participates in the regional standing committee as a member of ANSI.

Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements and Dialogues

Saudi Arabia

Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO)
Standards Program - Proposed Foreign Draft Standards available through the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization
Standards Expert

For further information on the standards program and draft SASO standards, please contact Michael Squires at 301-975-4039 or by e-mail at michael.squires@nist.gov

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

On May 26, 1981 an agreement was signed between the six countries of the Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) to coordinate their economic, political, cultural and security policy, creating the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, better known by its acronym GCC. The presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council rotates yearly among members. Council headquarters are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 1995, the countries had a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$215 billion and US$13,559 million in imports from the United States.

Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Standardization and Metrology Organization for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

For further information on NIST's activities under these MOUs, please contact Elisabeth Parker at 301-975-3089 or by e-mail at elisabeth.parker@nist.gov

Workshops

January 21-23, 2002 Standards and Conformity Assessment Workshop, Cairo, Egypt

September 24 - October 5, 2001 Standards and Conformity Assessment Workshop for West Bank and Gaza

July 23 - August 3, 2001 Metrology Workshop for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

June 19 – 28, 2000 U.S. - G.C.C. Industrial Quality Manufacturing Workshop

March 8 - 17, 1999 Laboratory Quality Management

Standards Expert

There is currently one standards expert located in the Middle East. This expert is a NIST Standards Representative in Saudi Arabia who has an office in the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) in Riyadh. Standards Representatives serve as in-country experts and liaison for all standards-related matters, handling a wide variety of issues. They effectively contribute to U.S. businesses in their attempts to penetrate markets.

The standards experts monitor standards and conformity assessment activities in the region, including participation in the planning and/or conducting of events by regional bodies. They also notify government, standards-developing organizations, trade associations, and industry technical experts of countries about discussions of standards and related issues in order to promote acceptance of U.S. positions and product certifications and to harmonize standards and procedures. The experts support the NIST Standards in Trade Workshops by identifying candidates, identifying issues, and providing technical and logistical support. They analyze standards-related issues to support government and industry trade associations and provide U.S. standards information to the government and private standards organizations of Asian countries in order to promote the harmonization of standards and conformity assessment practices in the United States.