The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute has promised to help the countries of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates comply with AHRI standards.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute has promised to help the countries of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates comply with AHRI standards.

AHRI recently signed cooperative agreements with Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Association and the UAE's Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority. The agreements aim at further harmonizing HVACR and water heating testing and rating standards globally. The agreement calls for SASO and ESMA to adopt AHRI's standards as Saudi, and UAE national standards, respectively, in some cases with regional adaptations.

According to AHRI, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have begun to place a new emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental protection. With personal visits in November 2009 and February 2010, AHRI says it has signaled its intent to work closely with the governments of those nations to use AHRI standards and performance certification programs to help them meet efficiency and environmental goals.

”This agreement is an important first step in what we hope and expect will be an ongoing, very productive relationship,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “Our active involvement in this region not only helps us expand our global reach, but also helps our member companies that do business in the region compete on a level playing field with other manufacturers.”

Discussions are underway between AHRI, SASO and ESMA about holding a series of workshops that could lead to an agreement on adoption of certification in the near future.