on October 3-7, the United Arab Emirates hosted the 85th General Meeting of the International Electrotechnical Organization (IEC) at the Dubai World Trade Center. Organized by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, the event will bring together 3,500 experts, scientists, technologists and specialists in industrial, commercial and academic institutions, and technical and engineering fields, as well as youth representatives from 88 countries.

The event, which was held for the first time in the Middle East, is a unique forum for exchanging ideas, information and methodologies, and for setting future visions through technology. This year it will be held under the theme “Leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution with Standardization”.

As part of a substantive agenda, the meetings included technical discussions that addressed the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its connection to qualitative development in production, facilitation of trade exchange, consumer protection, the environment and national economies.

Taking place on the sidelines of IEC General Meeting will be the organization’s “Young Professionals Program”, which is dedicated to training the new generation of experts and leaders in the field of standardization and conformity assessment. These skills are considered essential pillars in the development of an infrastructure of quality that will popularize the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The UAE is represented in the program by four young Emiratis from technical and engineering disciplines.

The International Electrotechnical Organization (IEC) is a leading global body involved in the development of international specifications and standards for all electrical and electronic devices and related technologies, as well as the management of programs for mutual recognition of conformity certificates. It has 88 member countries, 210 technical committees and more than 1,500 working groups.

The IEC seeks to support the infrastructure of quality and global trade of electrical and electronic products. It includes about 20,000 global experts in the sector, which plays a pivotal role as one of the factors enabling the ongoing digital transformation process in the global economy.

The UAE has been a full member of the International Electrotechnical Organization since 2010, and is the first country in the Middle East to obtain such membership. Conformity certificates issued by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology also began receiving international recognition in 2012.

It is worth noting that in 2021 the UAE achieved a new international ranking in terms of industrial performance, advancing five places in the Competitive Industrial Performance Index issued by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It also maintained its position as the leading Arab country in the same indicator.

This global event is in line with “Operation 300 Billion”, the UAE’s national strategy for industry and advanced technology. Implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, it aims to increase the contribution of the UAE’s industrial sector to GDP to AED300 billion by 2031, and consolidate the sector’s presence as one of the main pillars of the country’s efforts to achieve sustainable development within 50 years.

Link to General Meeting’s website:
https://gm2021.iec.ch/

Link to General Meeting on Dubai World Trade Centre’s website:
https://www.dwtc.com/ar/events/the-85th-general-meeting-of-the-international-electrotechnical-commission-iec-2021