• Our successful work with international codes, standards, certification, and testing bodies enabled these organizations to develop and expand their services in the MENA region, thus facilitating MENA access to expertise in quality infrastructure.
• Through technical assistance on quality infrastructure, we helped Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry implement the National Industrial Strategy.
• By working closely with and transferring knowledge to the Saudi National Building Code Committee, we helped raise the bar for quality in the built environment in Saudi Arabia.

• Our extensive regulatory analysis of the power generation sector in Saudi Arabia enabled Underwriters Laboratories to certify GE gas and steam turbines for this market.
• As a result of our knowledge of and research on the countries of the Saudi Arabian peninsula, Lutron dimmers and wireless controls were certified within the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) Region.
• Our work for TUV Rheinland of North America resulted in the approval of the Carestream Health Inc. Wireless LAN for markets in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Facilitating Trade

Standards Associates has provided training and outreach to implement Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and remove trade barriers including the following:

• Leviton gained access to the Saudi Arabian market for their socket outlets as a result of our advisory assistance.
• Through our work atthe Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO), Estee Lauder Inc. was able to meet import requirements for Saudi Arabia. Two of its brands – Clinique and Crème de la Mer – failed to comply with new SASO regulations that Arabic language descriptions and instructions be included on the product packaging.
• We worked with the U.S. auto industry (General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford) to facilitate the acceptance of existing safety tests in Saudi Arabia, thus eliminating the need for duplicate testing.
• Through our work on standards and conformance as a contractor to NIST, we helped eliminate trade barriers and thus maintain market access for U.S. electrical appliance and equipment industries.

Developing Business

Through our assistance, the Centre Testing International Corporation (CTI), a Chinese laboratory and product certification body, was accredited in the U.S. by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and in the GCC region by the GCC Standardization.

Reducing Risk

Working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we provided valuable services to the IT industry, especially related to eliminating counterfeit products from Saudi markets. A Hewlett-Packard executive noted that the reduction in risk “can be estimated at approximately $1 million.