UL, a global safety science leader, announced Sept. 8 it is expanding its facility in Abu Dhabi, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, to include a cable fire safety and performance laboratory.
Sameer Abdul Salam, UL's business head for the Middle East and Africa, said potential fire risks propelled the company to move forward with the expansion.
"The hazards associated with noncompliant cables present significant risks with respect to the nature and scale of a fire event," Salam said. "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."
The new lab will facilitate the testing of electrical and optical cables.
"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," Salam added.
The facility expansion will allow other manufacturers, brands and suppliers of optical and electrical cables to test their products for fire safety.