Fikri Işık, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, stated that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) National Metrology Institute (UME) produced a national time scale for Saudi Arabia and said, "With the national scale produced, Saudi Arabia has become a contributor to the determination of world time and the Mecca time scale has also been improved."

Stating that an agreement was signed between TÜBİTAK UME and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Standard, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), Işık said that Saudi Arabia, which is trying to integrate into the international system in the scientific field, will establish its metrology infrastructure from scratch. 

Pointing out that a national time scale was produced for Saudi Arabia, Işık said, "Support was provided for the distribution and traceability of the project within the country and for SASO's membership in BIPM-TAI (International Atomic Time Club). With the national scale produced, Saudi Arabia has become a contributor to the determination of world time and the Mecca time scale has also been improved."

Işık said that with the completion of the project, it is aimed to ensure the turnkey installation of the scientific metrology (measurement science) system, which constitutes the most important pillar of the quality infrastructure required in the country for the removal of technical barriers in Saudi Arabia's trade, the training of institutional experts and the integration of this system into the international metrology system.

Pointing out that the cooperation between TÜBİTAK UME and SASO was expanded following the success of the project, Işık said that the establishment of metrology laboratories that will operate in the fields of physics, electrical-electronics, mechanics and chemistry was also put on the agenda.

Pointing out that TÜBİTAK UME has also produced a national time scale for Saudi Arabia, Işık continued his words as follows:

"Within the framework of the contract signed between TÜBİTAK UME and King Abdullah Moon Observation and Research Directorate (KACCOLR), KACCOLR personnel were trained on the synchronization of the giant mechanical clock that determines the time of Mecca with atomic clocks. With the new contract, KACCOLR was provided with auxiliary devices for the synchronization of the Mecca clock. Support was provided for the dissemination and traceability of the project within the country and for SASO's membership in the International Atomic Time Club. With the national scale produced, Saudi Arabia became a contributor to the determination of world time and the Mecca time scale was improved." 

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

With the atomic frequency standards available in the time frequency laboratories of the member countries of the International Atomic Time Club International Earth Rotation and From Reference Systems Service (IERS) as a result of a special algorithm using data from the International Dimensions and Weights It is time information produced by the Bureau of International Monetary Management (BIPM). It does not include the time zones used by countries. It is the adaptation of 1 day, which is called 1 revolution of the Earth around its axis, to the time scale created by atomic frequency standards.