UAE Three-Year Chair of Gulf Association for Metrology

Increased regional collaboration in developing standards and metrology programs to enhance quality infrastructure
 
Abu Dhabi, UAE: March 05, 2022 – The United Arab Emirates will chair the Gulf Association for Metrology (GulfMet), a Regional Metrology Organization established under the patronage of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), for a three-year term. In addition, Engineer Amina Al Bastaki, Director of the Metrology Department at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, has been appointed President of GulfMet until 2024.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the association’s recent meetings in Abu Dhabi in coordination between the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), the GSO and the Emirates Metrology Institute.

GulfMet is the latest Regional Metrology Organization to obtain international recognition, along with the European Association of National Metrology Institutes, the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme, the intra-Africa Metrology System, and the Inter-American Metrology System. The UAE plays a pioneering regional role in the field of metrology and is an active member of international organizations such as the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). It is also among the first countries in the region to sign the historic Meter Convention and the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of National Measurements Standards and of Calibration and Measurement Certificates (CIPM MRA).

National Capabilities
Her Excellency Farah Al Zarooni, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Standards and Regulations Sector, said: “The UAE has developed the MENA region’s most competitive legislative and procedural ecosystem within the quality infrastructure. This ecosystem also enhances national capabilities, attracts foreign direct investment in highly technical industries, and strengthens the local economy by focusing on promising industries.”

She added: “The decision to nominate the UAE to the chair of GulfMet will increase collaboration opportunities among national metrology institutes across the GCC and encourage them to develop scientific metrology activities, as well as examination and calibration programs. This will contribute to international recognition of results issued by national labs, boost swift product acceptance in bilateral trade.”

She noted that MoIAT established the standards and metrology steering committee, which comprises related government entities. MoIAT also set the partnership and development framework for the industrial business sectors to develop the standards and metrology ecosystem, all of which support the advancement of the UAE’s industrial sector and boost its global competitiveness.