A meeting was held between a delegation from the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) and the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) in Riyadh to activate the cooperation agreement signed by the two last August. The agreement aims to spread the culture of standardisation, consumer and environment protection, public health through education, and relevant studies and research.
During the meeting, the GSO presented its future plan, strategic objectives and joint projects with partners in the GCC. These aim to strengthen cooperation with specialised institutions, increasing the effectiveness of the GCC economy and ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens.

The team representing AGU at the meeting was comprised of Dr Asma Abahussain, Vice Dean of Technology Studies at the College of Graduate Studies, Dr Tareq Al-Shaibani, Director of the Community Services, Consultancy, Training and Continuing Education Centre, and Dr Ahmed Al-Abbasi, member of the Teaching Committee in the Gifted Programme at the College of Graduate Studies. They reviewed the overall activities organised by the university in the past academic year in service of the agreement objectives.

The meeting reviewed the prospects of cooperation between the university and the GSO, said Dr Abahussain, adding that It also discussed a number of future proposals and activities in order to activate the cooperation agreement, such as hosting a series of seminars, conferences and workshops pertaining to standardisation activities and quality control. It is noteworthy that the GSO is a regional organisation established by a decision of the GCC Supreme Council in 2001, based in Riyadh. The organisation includes seven Member States: the six GCC countries, in addition to the Republic of Yemen.

It aims to unify various standardisation activities and to follow up on their implementation, in cooperation and coordination with the national standardisation systems of the Member States. This is done in order to raise the efficiency and competitiveness of Gulf industries and developing sectors of production and services, which facilitates commerce exchange, consumer and environment protection, and public health as well as supporting the Gulf economy and meeting the requirements of the Customs Union and the Gulf Common Market.