In these Regulations, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise:

• Law: Law of Measurement and Calibration issued by Royal Decree No. (M /51) dated 13/11/1434 AH.

• Implementing Regulations: Implementing Regulations of the Measurement and Calibration Law.

• Cost regulation: A regulation of costs of measurement and calibration services.

• Technical attachments: Technical documents, approved by SASO’s board of directors, and attached to the Implementing Regulations. They explain the characteristics of measuring instruments, the processes associated with them, and their methods of manufacture, including the provisions concerning terms and definitions, requirements, specifications and conditions that must be adhered to. Technical attachments constitute an integral part of the Implementing Regulations.

• SASO: Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.

• Governor: The Governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.

• NMCC: National Measurement and Calibration Center.

• Accreditation body: A committee formed in the Center by the Governor’s decision to issue a pattern approval certificate and to approve maintenance and verification bodies that qualify to carry out verification operations.

• Inspection body: The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization; the Ministry of Commerce and the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers.

• Inspector: An officer of the inspection body who is in charge of detecting the violations of the Law.

• Verification body: An entity that is accepted by the accreditation body to undertake primary, periodic or after maintenance verification on measurement instruments.

• Availability in the market: Making measuring instrument available for distribution or use in the market through a commercial activity, whether for a fee or for free.

• Manufacturer: Any natural or legal person who manufactures measuring instruments under his name or trademark.

• Importer: Any natural or legal person supplies the market with a measuring instrument that he imports from outside the Kingdom.

• Authorized representative: Any natural or legal person acting on behalf of the manufacturer.

• Distributor: Any natural or legal person, other than the manufacturer and importer, who makes measuring instruments available in the market.

• User: The entity that owns, uses or possesses measuring instruments.

• Consumer: Any natural or legal person who obtains a good or service to satisfy personal needs or other's needs whether for a fee or for free.

• Maintenance body: A body that is accepted by the accreditation body to undertake the modification, repair or maintenance of measuring instruments.

• Legal metrological control: The control over measurement instruments and methods and the conditions in which measurement results were obtained, expressed and exploited; and ensure that they comply with applicable legal and technical requirements.

• Specifications: Saudi Standard Specifications.

• Metrological marks: Marks attached to the measuring instruments that are subject to legal metrological control to indicate their compliance or non-compliance with the requirements of the Law and these Regulations.

• Protection mark: A mark attached to measuring instruments to indicate compliance with the verification requirements and to protect their parts from modification.

• Distinctive mark: A badge or symbol used by the entities approved by the accreditation body to identify themselves or their services.

• Special marks: Statements that indicate the specifications of instruments or products and the data of their manufacturer, importer, authorized representative or distributor.

• Measuring instrument: A device used for measurement, alone or in conjunction with other supplementary devices.

• Class of measuring instrument: A defined group of measuring instruments according to unique metrological and technical characteristics including the measured quantity, the measurement range and the method of measurement.

• Goods: Imported and locally manufactured goods and products, including prepackaged products.

• Pattern approval: It aims to confirm that a pattern of a certain measuring instrument meets the mandatory requirements.

• Primary verification: Verification carried out on new, repaired or maintained measuring instruments before they are authorized to be used, to ensure conformity and pattern approval.

• Periodic verification: Verification carried out, periodically and at specified intervals, on measuring instruments that are in use to verify the characteristics of their legal calibration, and submit the instruments that failed to meet the legal requirement to maintenance or, when necessary, impose a prohibition on their use.

• After maintenance verification: Verification carried out on measuring instruments that have been repaired or maintained, before authorizing their use.

• Sudden verification: Verification carried out suddenly by the body inspecting measuring instruments and goods to verify the use of the International System of units (SI) and ensure that there are no violations of the provisions of the Law.

• Metrological supervision: The operations carried out by the inspection body, to follow up the work of the verification bodies, monitor the verification data of the measuring instruments, and prepare statistics thereon.

• Self Verification: Verification carried out independently on new measuring instruments by the manufacturer, his authorized representative, distributor or importer, and it replaces the primary verification; it also carried out on measurement instruments in use by the owner or user, and in this case, it replaces the periodic verification. Prior to conducting this verification, a request to act as a self-verification body shall be submitted to the Center.

Chart: An Irremovable and indestructible label glued to measuring instruments and includes the following data:

• -Manufacturer's name or trademark.

• - Instrument serial number and year of manufacture.

• -Pattern approval mark or number.

The following measuring instruments are subject to legal metrological control:

• 1- Measuring instruments used in commercial exchanges.

• 2- Measuring instruments used in the field of consumer health and safety.

• 3- Environmental measuring instruments.

• 4- Measuring instruments that are presented in the market and put into use, taking into account their impact on consumer protection.

• 5- Any measuring instrument that its range of use has been specified by the laws or regulations of the Kingdom.

The main objective of legal metrological control is to ensure that:

• 1- Measuring instruments meet the mandatory requirements contained in the technical attachments and international specifications and recommendations.

• 2- Legal measuring instruments used in the legal field are the same instruments authorized for use.

• 3- Measuring instruments in use are properly installed, used and bear the protection mark.

• 4- Measuring instruments bear the required metrological and protection marks at the specified places, and that these marks are intact, and legible and not damaged.

• 5- Measuring instruments and standards that are in use, even if not used constantly, are well preserved and in appropriate environmental conditions.

• 6- The accredited verification bodies and maintenance bodies have the necessary knowledge and competence to carry out the required work, and that they are impartial, honest, efficient and transparent.

• 7- The special marks are attached to measuring instruments and goods, and clearly illustrated in both Arabic and English or one of them.

Sudden verification is carried out through periodic or unannounced visits. During these visits, the inspector shall detect any violations of the Law, and issues the minutes related to the detection of these violations.

Types of legal metrological control over measuring instruments are as follows:

• 1- Pattern approval.

• 2- Primary verification.

• 3- Periodic verification

• 4- Self verification

• 5- After maintenance verification

• 6- Sudden verification

• 7- Metrological supervision

The manufacturer, his authorized representative, distributor, importer, user or the verification body of measuring instruments shall bear the costs of the examinations carried out by the legal metrological control stipulated in the cost regulation.

SASO may entrust any entity to carry out the verification works or part thereof on a specific type of measuring instrument only if said entity is accepted according to controls to be issued by the Center and approved by the Governor.