The GCC construction industry[1] has been hit hard by the fall in oil prices since 2014. Construction and infrastructure projects account for the biggest proportion of project spending in the region. But cutbacks in capital spending by government and private sector project sponsors and construction clients have led to a sharp decline in contract awards in the GCC from a peak of $114.3bn in 2013. Construction project contract awards in the GCC totalled about $63bn in 2017, 21 per cent down from the $76.5bn of contracts signed during 2016. In terms of project contract awards, 2017 was the worst year for the GCC construction industry since 2012. But the market is changing and, at the start of 2018, the outlook was improving rapidly for the GCC construction industry.
The catalyst for change has been the pickup in oil prices since the middle of 2017 as a result of the agreement between Opec and non-Opec oil-producing countries to place a cap on oil production until the end of 2018. This is boosted further by the announcement of new megaprojects, particularly in Saudi Arabia as part of its Vision 2030 economic restructuring programme, but also in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Construction and transport project activity is set to increase significantly across the GCC in 2018, with the return to spending on construction projects in Saudi Arabia in particular lifting activity.
Against this backdrop, MELA members have seen a few new regulatory initiatives this year targeting the lighting sector, that have entered into force in the coming months. These initiatives have successfully regulated the energy efficiency of individual products like lamps and control gear resulting in significant energy savings in various countries in the region such as UAE and Saudi Arabia. However, as a result of the recent paradigm shift in lighting, many lighting products supplied in the region today are put on the market in the form of integrated, intelligent luminaires or ledinaires where product components making a lighting system are indistinguishable from one another in the overall system.
Therefore, as energy efficiency regulations that target component are becoming rather ineffective, industry prefers smart regulatory solutions that acknowledge this reality. Our suggestions will be shared with regulators in the coming months as focus shifts further to regulating lighting systems. MELA is infact working on a Lighting System Legislation (LSL) approach for Street and Outdoor Lighting in support of regulatory efforts in the UAE that focuses on lighting systems put into service.
[1] https://www.meed.com/gcc-construction-infrastructure-transport-projects/
| Responsible Regulatory Authority | Regulatory Scope | Entry Into Force Date | |
| GCC | GCC Standards Organisation | GSO Low Voltage Technical Regulation | 1 July 2016 |
| General product safety requirements for electrical & electronic products. | Not yet known | ||
| This Technical Regulation sets out the essential requirements on the electromagnetic compatibility with a view to requiring equipment to comply with an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility. | G/TBT/N/ARE/406, G/TBT/N/BHR/517 G/TBT/N/KWT/399, G/TBT/N/OMN/349 G/TBT/N/QAT/516, G/TBT/N/SAU/1047 G/TBT/N/YEM/119 Comments to be submitted by end May 2018. | ||
| This Technical Regulation sets out requirements on the restriction of the use of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment with a view to contributing to the protection of human health and the environment, including the environmentally sound recovery and disposal of waste. | G/TBT/N/ARE/407, G/TBT/N/BHR/518 G/TBT/N/KWT/400, G/TBT/N/OMN/350 G/TBT/N/QAT/517, G/TBT/N/SAU/1048 G/TBT/N/YEM/120 Comments to be submitted by end May 2018. | ||
| Bahrain | Bahrain Standards & Metrology Directorate | Non-directional light sources used in residential lighting. | 5 September 2015 |
| Egypt | Egyptian Standards Organisation | Non-directional light sources used in residential lighting. | 28 July 2015 |
| Decision No. 912 regarding Compulsory Energy Efficiency Labelling of Certain Electrical Appliances and Lighting Modules. | 12 July 2017 | ||
| Jordan | Jordanian Standards & Metrology Organisation | Non-directional household light sources initially - followed by directional light sources. | 1 January 2016 |
| Environmental Protection Law No. 6/2017 | 16 Apr 2017 | ||
| Jordanian Government Proposal No.60 which aims to increase the rate of energy savings for energy using products to 60% from 20%. | 30th November 2017 | ||
| Saudi | Saudi Arabia Standards Organisation & Saudi Energy Efficiency Program | Non-directional & directional light sources used in residential lighting. • Part 1 LS 2870 | • Stage 1 (1 May 2016) • Stage 2 (1 May 2017) • Stage 3 (1 Jan 2019) |
| Non-directional & directional light sources, controlgear & integrated luminaires used in Professional & Commercial lighting. • Part 2 (reference number to be communicated in due course) | Not yet known. | ||
| UAE | Emirates Standards & Metrology Authority | Non-directional light sources used in residential lighting. | 1 Jan 2015 |
| Restrictions on the Use of Hazardous Materials in Electronic and Electrical Devices Control Scheme, Regulation No. 17, 2017. | 1 January 2018 | ||
| Possible federal level regulation on street and outdoor lighting. | Not yet known. | ||
| Kuwait | Kuwaiti Public Authority for Industry | Kuwait Conformity Assessment Scheme Regulated products- Group 2 Household & Commercial Electrical & Gas Appliances. | Ongoing. |
| Regulation KW 71 with start of market surveillance effort 1 August 2018. | 1 August 2017 | ||
| Phase out of other halogen lamps with start of market surveillance 1 September 2019. | 1 September 2018 |
