GSO Celebrates World Metrology Day 2022
The GCC Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO) joins similar bodies and institutions in the countries of the world in celebrating the International Metrology Day, which falls on May 20 of each year. This year, it is celebrated under the theme “Metrology in the Digital Age”.
In his speech on this occasion, His Excellency Mr. Saud al-Khusaibi President of GSO said that “The theme for this year’s celebration was chosen due to the fact that the digital technology has brought about a revolution that we are witnessing today in our society. Digital technology has a significant impact on improving the performance and effectiveness of operations and providing new opportunities for development and creativity. It is one of our most interesting trends in the society today that embodies the rapid pace of change we are witnessing every day”.
He pointed out that “A key requirement of digital transformation is the open and transparent exchange of information, hence information should be easy to find when needed and be accessed in a coordinated process of operation and retrieval.
Data that are searchable, accessible, interoperable, and retrievable are indeed considered as trustworthy data and supports open data practices”.
He added that “GSO has undertaken several initiatives to keep pace with the rapid developments in the world of digital technology. It started converting all Gulf standards into XML in order to structure the data of Gulf standards so that they are searchable, accessible, retrievable, and reusable.
GSO, represented by the Gulf Metrology Association (GULFMET), formed the Gulf Digital Transformation Team, and shall sponsor the First International Conference on Measurement and Digital Transformation, which will be held in Berlin on 19-21 September 2022, and will host a number of experts to talk and transfer their experiences about digital transformation in the field of metrology, in addition to participating in the International Team for Digital Transformation emanated from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)”.
He further said that “GSO has realized the importance of digital transformation in all its activities, whether in automating processes related to the activity of developing Gulf standards or processes related to the conformity in addition to the metrology activities. GSO works in cooperation and coordination with relevant international bodies and organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) to transfer experiences and expertise in the field of digital transformation to member states”.
His Excellency pointed out that “the Gulf Metrology Association has gained great momentum in terms of the number of international intercomparisons registered, and the number of measurement and calibration capabilities (CMCs) registered in the database of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM KCDB), and the effectiveness of its metrological technical committees and the international support it receives from similar international and regional bodies and organizations, after being recognized as a Regional Metrology Association (RMO)”.
On this occasion, His Excellency extended his greetings, thanks and appreciation to all those working in national standards bodies of the member states in general, and those working in metrology in particular, highlighting the important role of metrology in all aspects of the daily life.
He hailed the great efforts exerted by those working in the field of metrology to provide internationally recognized, reliable and high credibility measurements, and their efforts to keep abreast with the rapid developments in the field of digital technology. He called on all member states to take advantage of the services of the Gulf Metrology Association and utilize them to advance the activities of metrology in their countries.
It is worthwhile mentioning that the International Metrology Day is an annual celebration commemorating the signing of the International Meter Convention on 20th May 1875 by representatives of seventeen countries. The Convention constitutes a framework for international cooperation in the field of metrology, and in industrial, commercial and social applications. The objective of the Meter Convention is to unify the measurement worldwide. The importance of the Convention stands today as it was in 1875.
