- Working in close cooperation with International Standards Organization (ISO) will be one of the topics of a two-day workshop of Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) that opens in Riyadh Sunday. Nabil A. Molla, SASO's general manager said the workshop, titled “SharingPartners in announcing International Quality Standards”, will focus on such topics as ISO's standard, quality and its references and the challenges SASO is facing in the current situation in the region. SASO, the sole standardization agency in the Kingdom, is organizing the workshop in cooperation with ISO and Mars at its headquarters in Riyadh. SASO is headed by the minister of Commerce and has two branch offices in the Eastern and Western Regions. It comprises representatives from the major sectors concerned with standardization in the Kingdom. Dr. Mahmoud Isa, chief of Egyptian Standards Organization, and other senior staff from similar agencies in Middle Eastern countries, high-ranking officials from ISO, academics from universities and representatives from Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) will attend the workshop. Molla hoped that the workshop would offer a platform for deliberations on standards issues in the Kingdom and the region. He said it would be an opportunity to support and encourage workshop participants to implement international standards that positively reflect on the Kingdom and increase its exports, business and trade relations in the region. Molla said the workshop would aim to identify and remove the bottlenecks in international trade. One of the most important issues in the agenda of the workshop, he said, is consumer health and the need for broader and better implementation of international quality standards. SASO was established in 1982 by a Royal decree. Its main objectives relate to standards and measurements. These include formulation and approval of national standards for all commodities and products, standards concerned with meteorology, calibration, marking and identification of commodities and products, methods of sampling, inspection and testing, besides other assignments given by SASO board of directors. In addition, SASO promotes standardization awareness through publicity and other means, participates in all activities relating to standards and measurements in the Kingdom, sets up rules for granting certificates of conformity and quality mark, regulates their issuance and use, and participates in Arab, regional and international organizations. SASO's vision is to be a distinguished standardization agency at the national, regional and international levels. Its mission is to protect the consumer by enhancing public health awareness and applying the best international practices to promote competitiveness of national products, all in accordance with Islamic law. __
