The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the United Nations Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) - regional office of West Asia today announced the launch of ARAMENA, an association of manufacturers of the air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration products and components (HVACR) in the Middle East and North Africa.
The association was developed with assistance from AHRI and UNEP and in response to the growing need for a representative body to be the voice of the industry in the region. The association will be based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

'The mission of ARAMENA is to be representative of industry in the region and to provide a strong collective voice on matters that affect the industry, both within the region and globally,' said Stephen Yurek, president and chief executive of AHRI, in remarks at the third Regional UNEP Refrigerant Symposium in Dubai.

ARAMENA will serve to address challenges faced by the HVACR industry in meeting the requirements of international protocols as well as local and regional energy and environmental regulations in an accelerated timeframe. The concept of ARAMENA emerged in forums held by AHRI and UNEP over the past two years.

The association's members currently include regional and global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which will be joined by other equipment and component manufacturers as the association expands its role in the region.

Legal steps are under way for the registration procedure, and committees and working groups are being established to deal with the many technical and administrative aspects of forming a new association.