Speech of GSO President on the World Metrology Day 2021

The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is participating in the celebration of World Metrology Day, which falls on 20 May each year, under the slogan “Measurement for Health”, and it’s realized jointly by the BIPM and the OIML.

On this occasion, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all staffs in the National Standardization bodies (NSBs) of Member States, and especially those working in the field of metrology, emphasizing the role of metrology in health sector and in various aspects of everyday life.

The International Metrology Day in 2021 comes at a time when the experiences and capacities invested in measurement organizations and institutes around the world have shifted in a short time to meet the new health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread in an unprecedented way all over the world since the beginning of 2020 and at a time when the world is focused to achieve a rapid and effective recovery from the impact of the pandemic, asking the Almighty to protect people from this pandemic and to lift the scourge from us.

The theme of this year celebration has been chosen to create awareness of the important role that measurement plays in health, and thus in the wellbeing of every one of us. Indeed, more widely metrology, the science of measurement plays a central role in scientific discovery, innovation, industrial manufacturing, and international trade, in improving the quality of life, and protect the global environment.

The speed and severity with which the virus has affected people around the world has forced governments to respond quickly to confront this virus, and from the outset the need for new measurement requirements has emerged, starting from the need for large-scale tests for the presence of the virus and the performance of personal protective equipment to develop vaccines that have been approved based on the accurate measurement and identification of complex protein and RNA molecules. The sheer size of these requirements has led to changing national priorities globally and governments have refocused their scientific capabilities to meet the challenge of protecting their populations from the impact of the virus.

The metrology community all over the world has contributed to face these new national and global challenges and used its established expertise in metrology to meet national needs by developing methods for measuring and testing masks necessary for personal protection and contributing to design and test the new artificial respirators needed in hospitals, as well as identifying and calculating Virus particles in the test samples and measure the efficacy of vaccine doses.

All of this has been possible due to the advanced technical capabilities to support the many measures needed to protect and improve health. This includes the following:

• Development of international measurement standards for all types of medical devices that enter the measurement function, including automatic blood pressure devices, ophthalmic devices, and medical syringes.
• Support clinical laboratory testing by ensuring that the measurements made with medical thermometers are in line with the internationally recognized thermometer.
• Ensure patients receive the correct dose of X-rays during diagnostic procedures.
• Provide the basis for accurate therapeutic doses of radiation in cancer treatment.

The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) has contributed through the Gulf Metrology Association and in fruitful cooperation with the Saudi Standards (SASO) this year in increasing awareness of the importance of metrology by proposing the slogan to celebrate the International Metrology Day “Measurement for Health” and designing the global poster to celebrate, commissioned by (BIPM) and (OIML).

On this occasion, I am pleased to inform the metrology community and those concerned with metrology activities in the GCC and Arab countries the news that the Gulf Metrology Assembly (GULFMET) has obtained international recognition and full membership of the grouping in the Joint Committee of Regional Metrology Bodies (JCRB) after it has fulfilled all the technical requirements contained in the international document CIPM MRA-P-12 Appendix B, section B1.

We congratulate the NSBs in the member states of the Standardization Organization and those working in the metrology activity for this great achievement, which is added to the distinguished achievements of GSO, asking God Almighty for further progress and prosperity for the GCC and Arab countries.

On this day, we also recall the great efforts made by those working in the metrology activity in the GCC countries to provide reliable measurements Internationally recognized, it serves our community in all health, industrial, commercial, and service fields.

I ask Allah, Almighty to help us and all those who are working in the field of metrology in achieving the goals and aspirations of their countries to reach advanced levels in the field of metrology and highlight the importance of this activity and its effective role in all areas of life.