In the photo: Nick Ecart, ASTM director of international sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Essa Al Maidoor, deputy director general of Dubai municipality and president of SOE–UAE

ASTM International and the Society of Engineers – United Arab Emirates (SOE) have signed an agreement to enhance current relations between the organizations and to promote the participation in the development of international standards.

ASTM and SOE-UAE hope the agreement will teach members of both organizations more about the other and increase the level of cooperation in mutual interest areas, particularly engineering. The agreement offers opportunities for SOE-UAE members to join ASTM International and discusses future potential collaborations for symposia and workshops, training, publications and more.

“ASTM International hopes the agreement will increase the level of awareness about ASTM standards in the UAE and promote the participation of UAE engineers in ASTM technical committees,” says Nick Ecart, ASTM director of international sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In addition, the agreement will facilitate training and other ASTM programs in the United Arab Emirates.

“The agreement is designed to provide awareness of the standardization systems and encourage the participation of engineers in the ASTM standards development processes for the benefit of health, safety, environment and economic growth of our country,” says Eng. Essa Al Maidoor, deputy director general of Dubai municipality and chairman of SOE–UAE.

ASTM has a strong relationship with several standards bodies through its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Program, which promotes communication between ASTM and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties. ASTM has signed MOUs with the Emirates Standards and Metrology Authority (ESMA) and the Standardization Organization for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GSO) and ASTM standards are used extensively in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf region.

More than 40 individuals from UAE are current ASTM members, participating on various technical committees, including A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys, C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants, and D04 on Road and Paving Materials.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM Staff Contact: Dan Smith, Phone: 610-832-9727; dsmith@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler; Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9240