Building Safety, Innovation, Energy Efficiency Advanced In Gulf Countries

The ICC has signed an historic agreement supporting GSO efforts to develop a unified Gulf Building Code for the region.

The International Code Council (ICC) has signed an historic agreement supporting The Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO) efforts to develop a unified Gulf Building Code for the region. The GSO represents Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates.

Gulf Building Code
Mark Johnson, ICC Executive Vice President (left) and Director of Business Development; GSO Secretary-General Nabil Amin Molla (right).

The Gulf Building Code will be based on the Saudi Building Code, which will incorporate the latest provisions from the 2015 International Codes®. This new Gulf Building Code will support the harmonization of building practices, enhance safety, and facilitate commerce in the region. Once implemented, the Gulf Code will reflect the latest advances in building safety, affordability, and sustainability and be a driving force for innovation and safety advances in building design and construction.

“When the global building community comes together to promote health, welfare, and safety in the built environment, everyone benefits,” said Dwayne Garriss, President, ICC Board of Directors. “ICC is proud to support the GSO efforts to this end.”

“We look forward to the GSO and its member states beginning a sustainable partnership and a continuing technical cooperation with the ICC before and after the launch of the GBC,” said GSO Secretary-General Nabil Amin Molla.

Gulf Building Code
Code Council and GSO delegations at agreement signing ceremony.

The Code Council will support the GSO efforts with training and other resources to facilitate the development and implementation of the new Gulf Building Code. The GSO will also participate in the Code Council’s code development process on future iterations of the model I-Codes.