Dammam, Rajab 11, 1439, Mar 28, 2018, SPA -- The GCC Laboratory signed a partnership agreement with UL company on the sidelines of the Saudi-US CEO Forum in New York organized by the Saudi Center for Strategic Partnerships as a part of the activities taking place on the sidelines of the state visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, to the United States of America. The agreement aims to establish the GCC Laboratory for Renewable Energy Services and to localize the renewable energy technologies, services and tests in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GCC region, and the Middle East. This strategic partnership comes within the Saudi and GCC initiatives to diversify energy sources in the region and take advantage of solar energy resources and their key elements to establish integrated industries, localize solar technologies and create jobs for the youths in the GCC region. This strategic partnership is aimed at establishing institutes for research and development, qualifying national cadres and developing technical specifications and standards to ensure the success of solar facilities in the climatic conditions of the region and raising the levels of safety, performance and reliability. It is worth mentioning that the GCC Lab Company is an emerging company based in Dammam. It has been established by 10 leading entities in the fields of energy. They are Saudi Aramco, Saudi Electricity Company, Public Investment Fund, GCC Interconnection Authority, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Motabaqah Company, ACWA Power Company, AlFanar Company, Electrical Industries Company, and Electrical and Mechanical Services Company. --SPA 20:45 LOCAL TIME 17:45 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w653648