TÜBİTAK Vice President Prof. Dr. Mehmet ÇELİK visited TÜBİTAK UME and the Metrology Institute (NMCC) of the Standard, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Mecca Time Center (MTC) of the King Abdullah Moon Observation and Research Directorate (KACCOLR) between 26-29 October 2015 to observe the projects carried out with these institutions.
Since 2013, the visit was carried out in order to examine the projects that have been carried out extensively on site and to hold coordination meetings with SASO President Dr. Saad O. ALKASABI, institution managers and project management. TÜBİTAK Vice President Prof. Dr. Mehmet ÇELİK and TÜBİTAK UME Deputy Director Dr. Mustafa ÇETİNTAŞ also attended the visit.
During the visit, the laboratories established by TÜBİTAK UME at SASO/NMCC were visited and the systems installed were examined on site and detailed information was given to the managers of the relevant institutions by the project coordinator Assoc. Prof. Ramiz HAMİD.
In addition to exchanging information about the current projects underway, discussions were also held on new projects for the future.
In addition, within the scope of the visit, Mecca Time Center (MTC) was also visited and both the project studies carried out by TÜBİTAK UME were examined on site and discussions were held on new projects with Dr. Yaseen M. ALMLEAKY, President of KACCOLR MTC.
The 3 projects, which include the establishment of 29 laboratories and sub-laboratories in the fields of Physics, Electrical-Electronics, Mechanics and Chemistry, on-site training and consultancy for SASO/NMCC, aim to ensure the turnkey installation of the scientific metrology system, which constitutes the most important pillar of the quality infrastructure required in the country for the removal of technical barriers in trade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the training of institutional experts and the traceability of this system to the international metrology system.
SASO/NMCC ile imzalanan projelerin başlamasından yaklaşık olarak sadece bir buçuk yıl geçmiş olmasına rağmen proje kapsamında kurulacak sistemlerin %70’i gönderilmiş ve kurulmuş durumda.
In addition, with the project initiated between TÜBİTAK UME and KACCOLR/MTC in 2013, the use of 11 Cs atomic clocks and satellite receivers of MTC has been significantly improved. The technical level of MTC, which was ranked last among the 70 laboratories that are members of the International Time Club (BIPM TAI), which establishes the UTC time scale, with its type A (10 ns) and type B (20 ns) uncertainties, was increased and its uncertainties were improved to 1ns and 7 ns, and its status in the BIPM TAI list was increased to the top 20.
The importance and necessity of conducting R&D studies for the joint production of atomic clocks was emphasized by the parties, since atomic clocks used metrologically are also used for position determination in satellite systems. In addition, views were exchanged with Saudi Arabian officials on the satellite-based Regional Positioning System planned to be established regionally by TÜBİTAK.
