The Governor's Speech in Celebration of "Arab Standards Day"
On Friday 25th of March 2016, SASO participates in the celebrations of World Standards Day along with Arab standardization bodies, under the slogan " Standardization as a Mean for Sustainable Development". Proceeding from this theme and in conformation of Arab integration, we emphasize that achieving sustainable development can only be reached through improving the quality of goods, products and services and through supporting creativity and innovation activities. In addition, we emphasize the importance of standards in achieving a balance between development and the environment, especially in the industrial field, so as to maintain the natural environmental resources for the benefit of members of the community.
We cannot overlook the pivotal role of standards in achieving development goals, throughout the standards of quality management and assurance, standards concerned with social responsibility and standards concerned with the principles of occupational health and safety.
Furthermore, SASO is also concerned with the issue of environmental protection which is one of the most important global strategic issues that are related to sustainable development priorities. Therefore, SASO makes concentrated efforts to develop standardization and quality activities, and to improve the level of services offered in various fields. The aim of doing so is to create a sustainable environment that works to provide environmental protection requirements according to international and Saudi standards related to this matter.
SASO's efforts continued in adopting standards and providing technical support to government and private institutions. The number of Saudi standards related to environmental affairs and protection reached 118 standard concerned with safety, industrial health and pollution resistance resulting from; vehicles, industrial products, residues of pesticides, fertilizers, and compounds of chlorine, fluorine, carbon.. etc.
We endeavor continuously to strengthen efforts to unify Arabic standard specifications and systems which will eject a unified Arab system of measurement and calibration. In addition, we endeavor to spread awareness of standardization and its importance in the Arab world, to illustrate its pivotal role in supporting the industrial and economic development, and the feasibility of adopting unified Arab standard specifications among the Arab countries to support the inter-trade , as a necessary tool for supporting the Arab Free Trade Area (AFTA).
Here I am pleased to note that "Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)", since its beginning until now, has provided more than 29 thousand of Saudi standards in various sectors. The highest percentage focused on the sectors of electricity, building and construction, electronics, chemical and petroleum products, textile, quality , as well as information technology. In addition, 1,707 Saudi standards have been updated and modified this year.
The field of measurement and calibration has witnessed a remarkable development and progress as well, in which SASO has continued to provide the National Measurement and Calibration Center (NMCC) with very high precision reference devices. Furthermore, SASO has continued to implement focused programs to transfer knowledge.
At the end, I would like to emphasize the importance of exchanging experiences among Arab standardization bodies as an important step to strengthen regional cooperation, and meet the challenges that stand in front of those standardization bodies. The experiences are also necessary to promote an active participation among the Arab countries in the technical works of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in order to raise the quality level of goods and products.
May the Peace, Mercy and Blessing of Allah be Upon You,,,