Mohammed Subian Al-Johani

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is sponsoring the first international symposium on “Peaceful Application of Nuclear Technology in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries” scheduled to begin here on Nov. 3, has given consent to invite all concerned ministers in the six GCC member states to attend the three-day event.

Mohammed Subian Al-Johani, secretary-general of the conference organizing committee, said Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari, who is the general supervisor of the conference, will personally extend invitations to the GCC ministers of foreign affairs, economy, health, higher education and scientific research, electricity, energy, industry, agriculture, water, information and oil to attend the symposium, which will discuss ways and means of introducing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in the region.

Al-Johani, who is the head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, expects a large number of ministers to respond to the invitation due to the importance of the symposium, which is taking place at a juncture when the entire world is considering nuclear power as an alternative option in the face of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

The symposium will tackle such vital issues as strategic planning for the introduction of nuclear technology in the GCC countries. Under this theme, the participants will focus on such issues as education and manpower development, nuclear regulations and legislation, nuclear technology transfer, strategic planning for research on nuclear reactors and nuclear power generation programs.

Al-Johani said the participants would also present papers and research works on the future of nuclear energy worldwide, experiences in developing countries, future needs of the GCC countries and nuclear safety.

More than 50 scientists, researchers and specialists from atomic energy agencies and institutions in 20 countries around the world will participate in the symposium.