The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) has formally listed the Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH) as a national reference for medical radiation measurement. The status lets hospitals check the accuracy of doses and devices used to diagnose and treat patients against a trusted international measurement system.

In this capacity, the lab acts as a reference point for calibrating and measuring radiation in healthcare, from radiotherapy machines used for cancer patients and brachytherapy, in which radioactive sources are placed in or next to a tumour, to diagnostic imaging and the measurement of radioactivity and neutrons.

Accurate measurement is directly tied to the safe and effective use of radiation. Results that can be traced back to national and international references help make sure patients receive exactly the dose their doctors prescribe and make diagnostic tests more reliable.

Prof. Jackie Ying, KFSH Executive Director of Research and Innovation, said the designation reflects decades of specialist expertise built up by the laboratory and gives the Kingdom an internationally recognised reference that supports accurate diagnosis and treatment and patient safety.

The lab has more than four decades of experience in medical radiation measurement and calibration. KFSH was ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 12th worldwide among the top 250 academic medical centres for 2026, named the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for 2026 by Brand Finance, and included in Newsweek's lists of the world's best hospitals for 2026.