Sonja Alexander                              Oct. 7, 1999
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone:  202/358-1761)


MEDIA ADVISORY:  m99-207

NASA HIGHLIGHTS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS
AT SYMPOSIUM IN SAUDI ARABIA

     Ralph Thomas, NASA's Associate Administrator for Small and 
Disadvantaged Business Utilization, took part in the first Gulf 
Cooperation Council Symposium on Small & Medium Enterprises in 
Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 5-6, 1999.  The Council is the 
Regional, political and economic alliance established in 1981, 
grouping Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United 
Arab Emirates.

     As the sponsored guest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 
Chamber of Commerce, Thomas presented a paper entitled "NASA's 
Experience in Contracting with Small and Medium Enterprises in 
America."

     "The international governmental bodies of the Gulf region are 
ready to hear about the advantages of utilizing more small 
businesses within their borders," said Thomas.  "We hope that the 
successful system we have employed at NASA can be duplicated 
throughout the world."

     Last March, Thomas traveled to India to receive the "Special 
Honor Award" at the International Conference on Small & Medium 
Enterprises in Bombay for his leadership role in national and 
international small business advocacy.  Prior to that, he 
addressed the Governing Body of the World Association of Small & 
Medium Enterprises in Budapest, Hungary.  

     NASA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 
is also preparing to become the first and only small business 
office in the federal government to be ISO-9000 certified.  The 
forecast for this milestone is May 2000.


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