KTC Middle East Office – Dubai GBC of SME Corporation, Signed MoU to Support Export Companies to the Middle East
Supporting Industrial Innovation of Our Companies through Market Development and Export Activation
▲ On the 12th, KTC President Ahn Sung-il (second from the left) and Consul General Lee Beom-chan (third from the left) hold a commemorative photo with the agreement at the Dubai GBC office of the Small and Medium Business Corporation (SME Corporation) located in Jebel Ali Freezone, UAE.
The Korea Testing & Research Institute for Machinery, Electrical and Electronics (KTC, President Ahn Sung-il) Middle East Office announced on the 13th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Global Business Center (GBC) of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME, Chairman Kang Suk-jin) to support the enhancement of technological competitiveness and export activation of domestic SMEs and venture companies seeking to enter the Middle East market.
GBC (Global Business Center): Established and operated in 21 regions across 13 countries worldwide to support the globalization of SMEs and venture companies through specialized and differentiated services. The Dubai GBC was opened in 2006 and currently operates 15 independent offices and shared spaces.
The signing ceremony took place on the 12th at the Dubai GBC office located in Jebel Ali Freezone, with the attendance of Consul General Lee Beom-chan, KTC President Ahn Sung-il, KTC Middle East Office Director Song Jin-ho, and GBC Director Lee Han-joo.
Under this agreement, KTC and GBC of the SME Corporation agreed to cooperate in various fields including ▲joint planning and implementation of export support programs for local market development, ▲consulting for overseas certifications, ▲Middle East certification support, and ▲planning and discovering joint projects for nurturing SMEs and venture companies in areas such as entrepreneurship, technology development, and marketing. This collaboration will provide SMEs with various supports needed to enhance competitiveness in overseas markets and explore new market opportunities.
KTC plans to strengthen its technical and certification support in line with local regulations and market requirements in the Middle East, helping SMEs gain competitiveness in the market and establish a sustainable growth foundation. Simultaneously, the SME Corporation will offer collaboration opportunities and provide necessary marketing support and localization strategies, maximizing the export potential of SMEs for successful entry into local markets.
It is expected that this agreement will significantly lower export barriers for domestic SMEs and venture companies in the Middle East market. Through tailored support, SMEs’ products will be better adjusted to fit local markets, leading to increased sales. As a result, competitive SMEs equipped with technological and managerial capabilities are anticipated to achieve success in the Middle East market.
Despite the heightened Middle East crisis involving Iran and Israel and overall sluggish exports, Korea's exports to the GCC region have continued to increase, from $15.5 billion in 2021 to $17.4 billion in 2022, and $18.7 billion in 2023. As major economic partners, South Korea and UAE signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May 2024, which is expected to continuously improve trade and investment environments, opening new opportunities in various sectors such as beauty and defense.
Meanwhile, as a leading certification body in the Middle East, KTC has successfully conducted numerous certification projects through its prior collaboration with GulfTIC, a certification body based in the UAE, before signing this MoU. To commemorate these achievements, KTC President Ahn Sung-il visited the GulfTIC headquarters during this business trip and presented a plaque of appreciation. This gesture reaffirmed the close cooperation between the two institutions and expressed a commitment to further enhance the global competitiveness of Korean companies through ongoing collaboration.
GulfTIC (Gulf Technical Inspection and Certification): A certification body based in the UAE that performs UAE certification tasks such as ECAS and EQM. It signed an MoU with KTC in May 2023.
ECAS (Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme): A mandatory certification system for cosmetics, electrical and electronics, food, etc., in the UAE.
EQM (Emirates Quality Mark): A voluntary certification system for food, cosmetics, electrical and electronics in the UAE, which can exempt the need for ECAS upon acquisition.
KTC President Ahn Sung-il stated, "This agreement with the Dubai GBC of the SME Corporation will provide important opportunities for SMEs and venture companies to challenge the Middle East market," and added, "We will continue to seek various cooperation measures to support the global expansion of SMEs."
Finally, since the opening ceremony in May 2023, the KTC Middle East Office has played a significant role as a key hub not only domestically but also in competing with global certification bodies, as it has been designated as the first domestic testing institution for dishwasher efficiency in Saudi Arabia, refrigerator and washing machine efficiency certification in Oman, and air conditioner efficiency certification in Yemen.
