Dubai, May 12 2008: The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) today unveiled details about the upcoming ISO 31st General Assembly, from October 12 to 17 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

During a press conference at the Grand Hyatt, ESMA outlined its plans to put Dubai on the world map in the field of international standards and best practice.  More than 500 delegates, representing the ISO's 157 member countries are expected to attend.

This event, organised in cooperation with DNATA World of Events, comes to Dubai in recognition of its commitment to abide by the highest standards in different fields, as set by the ISO, and reflects the confidence of ISO and all its members in both the UAE's capabilities and ESMA's proven track record in regulating standards. To prepare and manage the event, ESMA has formed a Higher Organising Committee, including local and federal government departments.

ISO's current portfolio includes more than 17,000 International Standards, and more than 1800 of these are adopted as UAE standards by ESMA. These standards are part of the UAE's development strategy and play an important role in integrating the UAE's economy with the global economy.

An annual event, this year's General Assembly will put the spotlight on the contribution of standardisation to construction issues, drawing on the United Arab Emirates' status as one of the world's leading construction hubs.

ESMA is the ISO member for the UAE and since its inception in 2001, it has been at the forefront of initiatives in the construction industry, as well as ensuring that services, consumer products and materials in all sectors confirm to approved standards.

Attending today's launch were ESMA Chairman and UAE Minister of Economy, H.E. Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed AlMansoori and UAE Minister of Environment and Water H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, as well as other

officials from ESMA, including Waleed Bin Falah Al Mansouri, Director of ESMA and Mr. Mohamed Ahmed al Mulla, Director of Metrology, ESMA and General Coordinator for ISO Dubai 2008.

According to H.E. Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed AlMansoori, the five-day event will create awareness within the UAE about the importance of international standards, as well as provide a forum for the ISO members to make strategic decisions.

"The UAE's economy is growing at such a fast rate and we are continuing to focus on development in non-oil sectors. As the sole body for standardisation and metrology in the UAE, ESMA sees its role as ensuring internationally recognised and approved standards are implemented in all sectors.

"We are honored to host this event and it is an ideal opportunity for the UAE to share its expertise in all industries, particularly in fast growing areas such as construction and hospitality, with the rest of the ISO members."

The general assembly will highlight key issues facing the UAE, in addition to issues facing other countries, at various stages of development. According to H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, the UAE is at the forefront of implementing environmental and energy-saving initiatives to counter-balance the boom in population and construction.

"The environment is one of the new growth areas for the ISO, which responds to trends and advances in society. The UAE is proud to be involved in decision-making in this area, particularly with our focus on sustainable development, including reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and introducing green buildings and green cities."

The event is exclusively for delegates appointed by ISO members and representatives of invited international organisations. The ISO's wide-ranging standards are developed by 201 committees made up of more than 2280 groups of specialists around the world. The general assembly will be a forum for the Committee on Developing Country Matters (DEVCO) and the Technical Management Board (TMB) to meet. The ISO council, which develops the proposals for ISO members to discuss, will meet on the final day of the General Assembly.

Invited members of the public will have an opportunity to attend, with an Open Session taking place on October 15. This year's topic will be "Buildings for a sustainable future" and the keynote speaker will be Louise Cox, First Vice President of the International Union of Architects, a global network dedicated to the architectural profession.  Specialists and officials will attend to discuss the future needs of buildings, in terms of power, safety, security and communication, in which international standardisation plays a vital role.

The first formal General Assembly was held in Paris in 1949. Last year's General Assembly was held in Geneva. Dubai follows in the footsteps of leading cities, such as Singapore, Ottawa and Buenos Aires, which have hosted the event.

Membership of ISO is open to national standards institutes most representative of standardisation in their country and only one national standards institute in each country can be a member.

-Ends-

International Organization for Standardization
The ISO is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO, a non-governmental organization, has a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates its member countries. Currently, the ISO network is made up of national standards institutes of 157 countries, with one member per country.

Its role is to form a bridge between the public and private sectors, enabling a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society. Its member institutes are from both the government or mandated by the government and the private sector.

The name is derived from the Greek Isis, meaning "equal". This name was chosen to give it a short, all-purpose name because otherwise "International Organization for Standardization" would have different acronyms in different languages ("IOS" in English, "OIN" in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation).

Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology
Established in 2001, ESMA's vision is to be the pioneering authority in the fields of Standardization, Conformity, and Metrology at regional and international levels and to establish best quality and excellence as guiding principles that support the national economy.

As a full member of the ISO, ESMA's role is to advise all stakeholders about standards development, as well as to ensure the UAE's standards are in line with scientific developments, including ISO standards.

Consistently taking into consideration the social, economic, health and safety interests of the public, ESMA makes certain that the services and products are of the quality and in

conformity with the approved standards. In addition, ESMA spreads awareness of the different standardization activities through various outlets.  ESMA's strategy supports the national economy and welcomes in a new era of excellence and quality within the UAE.

For more information, please contact:
Maha Obeid
Milestones Marketing Communications
Tel: +971-4- 3658492,
Fax: +971-4-3678097
e-mail: maha@milestonesmc.com

© Press Release 2008