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In 2020, the global metrology services market is expected to be worth 824 million USD
15 September 2015



GOIC: The First Gulf Metrology Forum in Doha, December 2015

The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry of Environment, the GCC Standardisation Organization (GSO) and GULFMET organises the First Gulf Metrology Forum (GMF) and exhibition under the patronage of His Excellency Engineer Ahmad Bin Amer Al-Hemaidi, Qatar’s Minister of Environment. The event will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Doha, Qatar on the 14th and 15th of December, 2015.


According to the global metrology services market is expected to reach USD 824.6 Million by 2020, according to world studies, which indicate that increasing demand for high-precision components in key end-use industries such as automotive, electronics and power generation is expected to drive the market over the next five years. In the face of technology and growth challenges, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States are a growing market for world metrology services. Moreover, regional conformity assessment schemes are important elements in the internationalization of metrology activities in the GCC. Not only in the energy industries, but in all gas and oil industries, demand for metrology services has risen considerably over the past decade.
The 1st GMF tackles metrology in Gulf and international markets, in response to the increasing metrology requirements in today’s markets, and as a result of concerted efforts between governments and technical institutions in order to accomplish common metrology objectives.


Many international organisations and companies are expected to participate in this Forum to encourage manufacturing industries and services in the Gulf. The aim is to overcome technical barriers hampering trade, hence facilitating international collaboration in the field of metrology and strengthening Gulf-international agreements in the area of commercial and economic cooperation. More than 500 concerned parties in the GCC are expected to take part in this Forum as well.


The GMF is first of its to be held in the GCC region as the Forum targets government and private laboratories, relevant institutions and companies, ministries of commerce, industry and environment and industrial companies operating in the following areas: oil, gas, energy, petrochemicals, metallurgy, electricity, electronics and medical appliances, in addition to universities, scientific research institutions and international organisations specialised in metrology and calibration.


The Objectives

The main objectives of the Forum are to exchange ideas about the best means to raise public and industrial awareness to comply with industrial measurements, to assess the requirements of Gulf industries and institutions in the area of metrology, and to examine means of increasing national capacities in the field of industrial measurements. In addition to that, ideas will be exchanged on how to attract new metrology activities in various fields, international best practices to reinforce metrology infrastructure as part of quality development in member states, the role of national metrology institutes and laboratories, the experiences of member states in supporting metrology activities and local laboratories, means to cooperate with international laboratories, and finally on how to put together applicable recommendations to support metrology activities in the GCC. In fact, the organisation of this Forum was based on global reports of companies operating in the area of metrology services. These reports revealed a projected increase of the demand on metrology services in the near future in various sectors, particularly automotive, electronics, energy and others. The recovery of the global economy will also have impacts on the Gulf, resulting in an investment increase in various fields like energy and industry and their associated services.
GCC countries are endeavouring to build a growing industrial base with close ties with global economies. GCC countries are looking forward to reaching the next stage of the development process during which resources are allocated to develop the industrial base. The foundation of this development will be petrochemical industries and SMEs. This is an efficient strategy to deal with the changing global economy and to preserve sustainable industrial development.

Thus, international industrial standards have become key to efficient global trade. Furthermore, building and developing a local technology base means adapting with global technological progress. In order to reach the level of advanced countries in this field, high-quality products that comply with international standards are needed, in addition to precise measurements to make sure that the products are in line with these standards. Therefore, the foundation of a national modern standardisation system is the main pillar to shift to an industrially advanced society. It is necessary to keep up with fast growth in comprehensive economic activities, to promote science and technology and to prove the credibility of products in international trade.

As to the most important technical aspects of this Forum, they are as follows: raising awareness on the importance of metrology and its scientific, industrial and legal aspects, presenting experiences of GCC countries in this area, cooperating with international institutions to develop and support the role of metrology, communicating with concerned GCC parties in the field of metrology and getting to know the cognitive and procedural environment in GCC countries to include legal frameworks, researches and applications.

Working towards unified procedures for applying international and national standards in the GCC, the Forum will help in developing regional conformity assessment schemes and legislation, and enhancing the development and approval as well as updating and publishing of internationally accepted technical regulations in Gulf Countries. GCC industries need measurements and calibrations, and application is necessary in fields like temperature and humidity, pressure and vacuum, mass and balances, density and viscosity, flow measurements, electrical and time measurement, vibration and acoustic, RF and microwave, fibre optics, length and dimensional and torque and force.



The Importance of Metrology


Metrology is important for it is relevant to all aspects of life and has become a key pillar of manufacturing in developing countries and a main part of the industrial development cycle. In addition, successful applications of science and technology require good monitoring of measurements and standards used in various fields. Quantitative measurements have indeed become necessary within industrial authorities and commercial businesses. Moreover, in order to boost high precision instruments broadly and guarantee quality of products and raw materials, countries decided to establish specialised metrology and calibration centres for all products. This sector needs qualification and resources to be capable of fully offering required services. It is also key to rely on modern equipment and technologies in most industrial operations. Moreover, it is necessary to monitor machines, operations and equipment that are part of the processes and to study the market size to elaborate industrial forecasts in various fields. Today, metrology in the GCC applies to all sectors of manufacturing industries and has a direct impact on the profitability, capabilities and the sustainability of a business. Measurements are applied at all levels of production, at the raw materials level and for end products. Furthermore, reliable measurement results are important for the industry, consumer care, protection and safety. Measurements types are evolving with the needs of new and emerging technologies such as biotechnology and nanotechnology.

The metrology ecosystem in the GCC is such as depicted in the following exhibit:



In the GCC, reliable measurement plays a critical role in supporting economic competitiveness, manufacturing and trade. In this modern world, a well-developed measurement infrastructure gives confidence in many aspects of our daily life.


As such, the Forum will contribute to enabling the development and manufacturing of reliable high quality and innovative products in the GCC; supporting Gulf industry to be competitive and sustainable in production; removing technical barriers to trade and supporting fair trade; ensuring safety and efficacy of services and products; and meeting the grand challenges of energy and environment in the GCC States.
The increasing number of GCC manufacturing industries demand new services and systems. The following exhibit shows the distribution of industrial firms in the GCC:



In an effort to strengthen economic integration in the GCC, aligned with the requirements to unify the various standardization activities and to monitor the implementation and compliance contributing to the development of the productive and service sectors, the Forum will contribute to the development of trade but also protect the consumer and the environment as well as public health.
Metrology is applied in various sectors of the GCC economy, like the following large industries: oil and gas, petrochemicals and refining. It is also applied in small and medium size industries such as plastics, metals, mining, cardboard, air filters, paints, sweets, dairy, cables and others.
The official website of the Forum: http://gmf.goic.org.qa.




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