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H.E/ Nabil Amen Molla Governor Of Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)   Q1: Would you please give the reader an idea about technical barriers to trade (TBT)? A1: TBT is one of WTO's agreements concerned with the trade of commodities it aims at ensuring that standardization activities including technical regulations (mandatory standards), optional standards and conformity assessment procedures do not represent barriers to international trade flow. TBT applies to all industrial and agricultural products. Q2: what are the main requirements of TBT? A2: they are: - Standardization activities should not constitute barrier to international trade. - National goods and imported goods should be treaded equally. - Using standards and international conformity assessment procedures as much as possible. - Participation of standardization organizations in the works of international standards organizations. - Acceptance of the other countries standards provided that they should comply with the Islamic law. - Concentrating on performance rather than on design or description characteristics. - Transparency. - Publishing the program of the standardization organization on its electronic site or on suitable bruited matter. Q3: what did SASO do to make its activities in accordance with TBT?  A3: with the aim of meeting the requirements of accession to WTO , especially TBT, SASO prepared its own technical work guide  which was approved by SASO board of directors in its meeting no(104) held on 16/4/1421 H (18/7/2000 G). this guide handles all SASO's work in areas of Saudi mandatory standards ( Saudi technical regulations ) , Saudi optional standards  , conformity assessment procedures and the information center. SASO technical work guide consists of the following parts: 1) Technical work guide – part 1: standardization and related activities – general terms. 2) Technical work guide – part 2: requirements for preparation of Saudi mandatory standards (Saudi technical regulations) and Saudi optional standards 3) Technical work guide - part3: conformity assessment procedures 4) Technical work guide – part4: equipping the information center as an inquiry point. Q4: Does the implementation of TBT have any adverse effects on Saudi Arabia?   A4 : TBT will not have any adverse affects an Saudi Arabia for SASO made it clear in the guide that it adheres to the Islamic rules, specifies quality levels meets requirements of national security Protection of consumers health and   safety prevention of Fraud practices and protection of environment. Moreover, SASO depends in most of its works on standards issued by write national organization such as ISO, CAC and IEC Q5: would you please give us on example that shows the negotiations SASO made for accession to WTO? A5 : during the negotiations , SASO insisted That expiry periods for perishable food products should be mandatory despite pressures made by some of member states in WTO . SASO succeeded in its efforts for accession to WTO because that was in accordance with the provisions of TBT concerning the right of states to use standards and conformity assessment procedures in all matters relating to protection of consumer , environment or security interjects of those states Q 6: What is the role of the information center regarding TBT? A 6: SASO information center performs the work of TBT national inquiry point including. - Responding to enquiries received from the other countries and providing relevant documents such as Saudi standards, conformity assessment procedures and membership of SASO in regional & international standardization origination. - Provision of required documents, if available for the other countries for suitable prices which are equal to those with in Saudi Arabia.      Plus the actual shipping charges Provision of the documents issued in Arabic and English by SASO. Q7: How will SASO conformity procedures be under its accession to WTO? A7: SAAO s conformity procedures are complying with TBT requirements. Yet, certain modification have been entered to regulations and rules in such a manner that conforms with the international agreements And so is the matter with accreditation of labs and services. Q8: Will national industry face strong competition after accession to WTO? And what is SASO’s role IN this respect? A8: Before accession to WTO, Saudi Arabians economy was based on the free economy principle. Foreign competition was existing ,but doubted lessly this competition will increase after accession to TWO and SASO's reliance on a number of international standards when preparing Saudi standards (except in circumstances shown in SASO’s technical work fined) will contribute to promotion of quality level of national Industries when coup tying with the Saudi standards and conformity assessment procedures issued by SASO which would enable such industries to withstand foreign competition in local markets and to reach world markets and compete in them , all of which well by god’s will , contribute to enhancing the national economy Q 9: Have you prepared national competent individuals at SASO for performing WTO works. A 9: A number of SASO employees have been trained in all WTO works relating to TBT and SPS agreements by holding training courses and seminars with WTC and WTO and SASO main building in Riyadh in which many of SASO staff members took part in addition to staff members of other relevant agencies. It is worth mentioning that training is a continuous activity inside and outside of Saudi Arabia. Q 10: What plans have you approved for preparing the national economy sectors in the stage following accession to WTO? And how'll SASO contribute to supporting the Saudi economy in standards & measurement field? A10: standardization has attained an advanced position with in frame of WTO`s agreements. In this context, several international agreement have been signed, among which is TBT. The most significant plans and programs SASO prepared are: 1) Completion of the labs project: SASO is very careful to establish two main labs: one for quality control and the other for measurement & calibration. However, an integrated project for a group of specialist labs is being implemented in SASO`s main premises and it's branches in Dammam and Jeddah. Among these labs are the hormone and medicine residues labs, tires and cars lab and nation & center for measurement and calibration which is consistent with the international requirement 2) Expansion of preparation of standards: It is essential after accession of Saudi Arabia to WTO to expand issuance of the standards so that the cover different commodities and products. Standard with play a significant role in protecting the national economy, specialty the national industry against unfair completion and products of low-level quality and price lighting fraudulence, dumping and counterfeiting .This will lead to protection of the national economy and businessmen and finance 3) Programs for supporting national in dustier programs in order to face the post accession to WTO stage. This will include and integrated package of products among which are upgrading national standards for increasing completive capacity of national products, assisting the industrial station for uploading of their quality management of assurance techniques, urging then to provide required human and technical capabilities and expanding the training courses for national cards working in different firms and extending technical consultation ,etc. 4) Fighting fraudulence, dumping and counterfeiting: it is expected that these phenomena will increase after accession to WTO. In this context, standards and conformity assessment procedures will play an important role. By applying them equally to national and imported commodities the overflow of unsuitable products could be stopped, fraudulence, dumping and counterfeiting could be controlled and controlling the quality level of internal and external trade could be equal achieved. Such programs will certainly impose increasing burdens on SASO which require more moral and material support.