Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries, has invested over Dh200 million ($54.4 million) over the last two years to expand its laboratories and testing facilities in the GCC.

The announcement came in parallel with the third GCC Laboratory Proficiency Conference, running on March 24 and 25 in Dubai, UAE.

The event is sponsored by Intertek and organised by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) in cooperation with Emirates Authority for Standardisation & Metrology (ESMA) and GCC-Accreditation Center.

In 2014, Intertek issued laboratory results and certifications for more than 3,000 government entities and private companies in the region.

Intertek works with its partners to ensure testing, inspection, certification and training are compliant with local and international standards while offering end to end support, including consultancy by its global and regional experts and scientists.

Ian Galloway, executive vice president at Intertek, who is a keynote speaker at the conference, said that Intertek plans to build additional centres in the region to cater to an increase in demand for quality improvements both by governments and industry sectors.

Hussain Al-Atrakchi, regional managing director, Mena and Pakistan at Intertek, said: “Intertek’s plans are fuelled by local government entities and private sector companies embracing quality as a strategy that offers sustainable economic growth, and global business competitiveness.”

“Spending on quality improvement is growing steadily. Companies and institutions in the GCC are focusing on quality and service excellence. Taking the UAE as an example, the country is constantly examining and implementing ways to improve the quality of life for its residents. It wants to be counted among the leading countries in the world in terms of excellence and quality of life.

“This has led to a surge in demand for quality control, testing and certification by both the governments and the private sector. As a result, Intertek has been expanding its laboratories and testing facilities. In the UAE, It has eight labs spread across various business sectors in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Fujairah,” Al-Atrakchi added.

Intertek currently operates 20 laboratories in the region, 30 offices and 2 training centres and offers different analytical services critical to local industries.

In the past year, it has grown its employee base of highly qualified technical experts by approximately 70 per cent in the GCC from 989 people to around 1700 people today. – TradeArabia News Service