The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute and the United Nations Environmental Programme’s regional office of West Asia has helped to develop ARAMENA, an association of HVACR manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa. The association was developed in response to the growing need for a representative body 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 CEO of AHRI.

ARAMENA will address challenges faced by the HVACR industry in meeting the requirements of international protocols as well as local and regional energy and environmental regulations. 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, which will be joined by other equipment and component manufacturers as the association expands its role in the region.