KTC Designated as the First Saudi Arabia Dishwasher Energy Efficiency Testing Center in Korea
KTC Designated as the First Saudi Arabia Dishwasher Energy Efficiency Testing Center in Korea
Korea Testing Certification institute (KTC) announced on July 20th that it has been designated as the first domestic energy efficiency testing center for dishwashers by the Saudi Arabian standardization organization, SASO.
The Saudi government announced in February of this year that energy efficiency certification for dishwashers will be mandatory starting from January 2024. This posed export challenges for domestic companies due to issues such as △ tight regulatory enforcement without grace periods △ absence of designated global testing institutions △ insufficient communication channels regarding regulations.
However, with KTC's designation as an energy efficiency testing center, the prospects for South Korean home appliance exports to Saudi Arabia are expected to improve. Domestic companies can now obtain SASO certification quickly and cost-effectively using KTC's test reports without sending overseas samples.
The dishwasher market in Saudi Arabia, which had accounted for only about 9% of household ownership in the overall kitchen appliance market until 2019, has been steadily expanding, reaching 11% as of 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic. The export revenue of South Korean companies has also shown significant growth, increasing from $5.4 million in 2019 to $8.4 million in 2022, a substantial 53% increase. In particular, with recent recognition of domestic company products as premium appliances within Saudi Arabia, this growth trend is expected to continue.
Meanwhile, KTC is the first domestic institution to be designated as a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) certification authority in the Middle East. To support exports to the Middle East, KTC established its Middle East branch in Dubai, UAE in May of this year, and it is expanding its operations through such designations, as well as collaborations with UAE certification authorities like GulfTIC and RACS, to facilitate timely exports for domestic companies.
In August recently, the first GulfTIC certification through KTC was achieved as a result of cooperative efforts. South Korean export companies are reaping concrete export support achievements through KTC, such as obtaining UAE ECAS certification. Given the nature of Middle Eastern countries with increasingly strict regulations and many obstacles without local representation, the role of KTC's Middle East branch is expected to become even more significant in the future.
Sungil Ahn, the president of KTC, expressed, "I am pleased with the achievements from our Middle East branch, established to support our companies' exports. As the image of Korean companies improves in the Middle East, we will provide comprehensive support to expand exports."
