UL advances electrical, optical cables fire safety via new Middle East lab

Sept. 13, 2021
The new UL laboratory in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates will provide local manufacturers, brands and suppliers of electric and optical cables and busways with a new resource for testing the fire safety of their products.

Global safety science expert UL on Sept. 8 announced that it is expanding its existing facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to now include a cables fire safety and performance laboratory.

The expanded facility, located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), allows manufacturers, brands and suppliers of electrical and optical cables and busways from throughout the Middle East to access a local laboratory for fire safety.

Sameer Abdul Salam, UL’s business head for the MEA Region, commented:

“The hazards associated with non-compliant cables present significant risks with respect to the nature and scale of a fire event. Our robust fire safety testing of cables, which is available at our new Abu Dhabi laboratory, brings trust and confidence that such safety issues have been assessed in the products manufacturers and companies are bringing to the marketplace. As the global safety science leader, UL looks forward to helping local purchasers, specifiers, installers and inspectors of telecommunication cables achieve increased speed to market and the ability to demonstrate their commitment to fire safety to their customers.”

The new fire safety laboratory is designed to test electric and optical cables, and busways as per various standards for flame retardant and fire resistance properties. Staffed with UL’s experts, the facility will enable faster turnaround times with enhanced regulation enforcement.

The local presence in Abu Dhabi with global expertise will help ease the logistical challenges for customers in Europe and Asia, said UL.

“In recent years, the Middle East has seen increased regulation around the fire safety of cables used in buildings to meet the civil defense requirements. At UL’s new Abu Dhabi laboratory, our fire safety experts will work with customers to help them meet these increased demands without sacrificing time or efficiency,” continued Salam.

UL offers its customers advisory and testing services to help them meet and exceed fire safety requirements. Research testing services for manufacturers can help customers design cables that comply to the necessary fire resistance/fire reactance standards.

UL can also produce a Type testing report and Type examination certificate based on IEC/EN/BS standards.

Sajeev Jesudas, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at UL, concluded:

“The opening of our new fire safety laboratory comes at an important time as governments and companies continue to invest in local infrastructure in Abu Dhabi and around the Middle East. These new investments mean that there is an increased need for safe cables and busways. With our new fire safety testing capabilities, we are excited that we will be able to help local manufacturers address product risks, safety and performance while helping them have a positive impact throughout the region.”

Learn more at UL.

About the Author

Matt Vincent | Senior Editor

Matt Vincent is a B2B technology journalist, editor and content producer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in the full range of media content production and management, as well as SEO and social media engagement best practices, for both Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine and its website CablingInstall.com. He currently provides trade show, company, executive and field technology trend coverage for the ICT structured cabling, telecommunications networking, data center, IP physical security, and professional AV vertical market segments. Email: [email protected]

Sponsored Recommendations

March 28, 2025
Bringing University of Tennesee's campus up to speed.
March 28, 2025
CommScope’s FiberGuide® Design Pro helps you design a complete fiber raceway for your data center or central office using 2D and 3D technology. This video guides you through the...
March 28, 2025
CommScope and Equinix work hand in hand to provide client connectivity across the globe