UAE becomes first Arab board member of International Electrotechnical Commission

The UAE has been elected to serve on the Board of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for 2025-2027, becoming the first Arab country to be voted into the Board.

The election took place at the IEC General Assembly held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in October, where Farah Al Zarooni, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Standards and Regulations Sector in the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), received unanimous approval from all IEC National Committee Members.

The milestone reflects MoIAT’s ongoing efforts to enhance the UAE’s quality infrastructure through various initiatives to further develop standards, regulations, and conformity schemes. The UAE is a key member of the IEC, which brings together 170 countries and provides a standardisation platform for more than 30,000 experts around the world. The country’s membership enables it to share knowledge and best practices in the field of standardisation to enhance the competitiveness of locally manufactured products and the sustainability of supply chains.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said, “Becoming the first Arab country to be voted into the IEC Board is a significant achievement for the UAE and is in line with the vision of the UAE’s leadership, as well as its commitment to supporting capacity building, raising efficiency and enhancing performance in all sectors.”

He noted that the achievement confirms the country’s leadership in quality infrastructure and the depth of global trust in the UAE’s regulatory system.

The news follows the announcement in September 2023 of the UAE’s membership in the Board of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

Dr. Al Jaber added, “This accomplishment reflects the international community’s acknowledgement of the UAE’s efforts to build its quality infrastructure system into one of its key pillars of industrial growth in line with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, Operation 300bn, as well as the Make it in the Emirates initiative.”

He concluded, “Membership on the IEC Board will support UAE industries, SMEs and products to be more competitive, facilitating trade with other countries, while growing the UAE’s influential role as a major partner in shaping the future of industry.”

Farah Al Zarooni, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Standards and Regulations Sector at MoIAT, led the UAE delegation participating in the IEC meetings. The delegation included representatives from the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQC), the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Space 42, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), and ABB, among others.

Al Zarooni said, “The ministry works alongside partners from local government and the private sector to enhance the efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of industry through creating standards and regulations that comply with the best international practices. In doing so, we help UAE products to access new markets. To date, the ministry has introduced more than 27,000 standards. Membership in the IEC Board will further strengthen the UAE’s efforts to integrate and harmonise its standards with others around the world.”

Under its participation in the IEC General Meeting, the UAE took part in the IEC Young Professionals Programme, which aims to develop capabilities and empower youth in the field of standardisation and conformity. Each year, the UAE nominates two young Emiratis to participate in the programme. Majed Bin Zawbaa from ABB and Maha Al Shehhi from DEWA were the two selected to participate, with Bin Zawbaa elected to the 2024 IEC Young Professional Leader’s seat for the Asia and Middle East region.

The IEC is one of the leading international organisations in the development of standards for electricity, electronics and related technologies. It aims to facilitate global trade by developing international standards that help ensure quality and safety.