The formation of Region-at-Large (RAL) started in 1990 by establishment of India Chapter and developed with the Community’s Internationalization Policy which was taken by the Regions Council in 1996Winter Meeting and matures in the period until 2001 when the RAL election of the Regional officers for the 2001-2002 Society period during the meeting.

RAL, which was originally formed by the gathering of India, Saudi Arabia, Cairo, Lebanese, Western India, Kuwait and Bangalore Chapters, held its first annual conference in London in September 2002.

A total of 22 Chapter Regional Conferences have been organized in different cities since 2002. As of July 2024, RAL, which has 20 Chapters and around 2000 members in 13 countries from Pakistan to South Africa, is distinguished from other regions due to its young and dynamic range of human resources. RAL, which included Chapters from European countries in its its early years, and the developing economic and regional balances caused a break like Brexit in 2017. As a result, Greece, Spain, Romania, Serbia, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, which are called Benelux states, separated from RAL and came together under Region XIV. Within this evolving process, Turkey’s preference for RAL has paved the way to gain continuity in its ties with Europe by preserving its power.

In January 2024, the Society BOD approved on the separation of RAL into two regions: 

Sub-region II became Region XV consisting of Chapters from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh
Sub-region I became Region-at-Large (RAL) with Chapters from Africa, Middle East, and Pakistan

ASHRAE RAL

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