Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QGOSM) was turned into its current framework as a body corporate on the 4th of Sept. 02, under the law No.16 of 2002.
QGOSM works, within the overall policy of the State, towards promoting the specification of commodities and optimizing their valid quality through the preparation, adoption, publication and issuing of Qatari Standards (QS) on goods, products and services, in full coordination with the competent authorities and concerned parties. QGOSM approves non-governmental laboratories and services' bodies. QGOSM tracks local and imported goods/products and verifies their conformance and with the approved standards.
As far as educational and informative aspects are concerned, QGOSM ensures raising awareness of the public and the media of Standardization and Metrology activities. It carries out researches and studies concerned with the fulfillment of standards and quality regulations. QGOSM assumes the representation of the State of Qatar in meetings of Standardization and Metrology bodies held at the Arab and foreign levels. Beyond that, it follows up the implementation of international and regional agreements reached in the field of Standardization and Metrology. It, also, proposes suitable regulatory legislations on Standardization and Metrology related areas.
QGOSM was put in place still not long ago, and yet it has achieved a series of outstanding outputs at the local, Arab and international levels, with approximately 1800 QSs issued, covering several segments such as: Food & Agriculture, Eelectromechanical, Construction & building materials, Textile, Chemicals & Petroleum, Metrology and Information. Following the secretariat of GSO Technical Committee on Food & Agriculture sector, the Secretariat of GSO Technical Committee on Petroleum & Gas sector has also been recently commissioned to the State of Qatar.

In terms of quality and conformance, QGOSM issues conformity certificates to companies operating in industrial fields, namely, building materials such as ready-mix concrete, hollow and solid block, asphalt, tiles, sand washing and cement manufacturing, with a view to ensure their conformance with the approved standards, which helps boosting the eye-catching urban development by far underway in the country.
QGOSM attaches a great significance to laboratories, as it has initiated a modern set of state-of-the-art laboratories concerned with construction, chemicals, asphalt, soil and aggregates used in civil engineering works (e.g buildings + roads). QGOSM's Central Laboratories and Calibration Department carry out tests on samples of construction related materials, aiming to verifying their conformity with the approved standards. The stock of representative samples received within 2003 -2004 has totaled (10178 in No.), which mounted up to its highest ever within 2004-2005 when it toped (12919 samples).
In addition, there is the value-metals' laboratory in QGOSM which is dedicated to conduct chemical tests and hallmarking operations on gold, silver and platinum, using typically precise calibration facilities. There is also the laboratory for measures, dry measures and weighing machines, which is concerned with the calibration and hallmarking of commercial balances in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations in this regard, as well as checking up petroleum stations and taxicab meters. QGOSM has inaugurated the electric laboratory within this year, it will launch a new laboratory for testing kids' toys, lubricants and cosmetics along with shampoos and soaps.
QGOSM controls the application of standards regarding goods either from the local market or imported through the check-points stationed in customs inlets. QGOSM's inspectors monitor building materials in production plants and supplying agencies. Also, they track and verify traded gold as to whether it bears the hallmark of the State of Qatar. The checking- up drives cover all types of commercial weighing machines, petroleum stations, measures and dry measures used in several markets, groceries and other outlets, with the aim of securing protection of the consumer against possible adulteration as a result of non-conformity with the approved standards.
Since its launch, QGOSM has long marked a pro-active presence in such voluntary activities as the 'Green Tent', regularly organized by the 'Ecology-friends' Centre, as well as the 'Road Accident Control'campaigns led by Traffic Department. Additionally, QGOSM maintains an effective participation in the 'World's Forum on Waters' jointly held in the University of Qatar. 35 informative manuals have been published on public awareness of standards specifying basic commodities and service facilities such as food & agriculture, motor vehicles & tires, kids' toys and safety in the use of household appliances. An awareness reach-out drive referred to as:'For Your Safety' has been launched nationwide.
QGOSM is committed to a sustainable progress, as we are fully engaged in a no-stop heading into the relay of development .To this end, QGOSM has set up 'Enquiry Points' linking most of the GCC, Arab and international concerned bodies, and has signed bilateral agreements with these bodies with the motif of bringing in more support to the Qatari national economy which is, in fact, tightly pegged to the outside world. An active member of WTO, ISO and OIML, we do work hard, for the time being, towards obtaining the membership of BSI and ASTM, alike.