Nuclear energy leaders from 40 countries will meet in Abu Dhabi next week to discuss the nuclear energy programs around the world. High on the agenda will be the importance of quality control and quality assurance in the nuclear energy industry.

“We look forward to welcome the world’s nuclear energy industry to Abu Dhabi to discuss important issues facing nuclear energy nations worldwide,” said Suhail Mohamed Al-Mazrouei, UAE Energy minister.

“The UAE has much to share from its experiences in nuclear energy; we also have much to gain from the experiences of other nations to ensure our peaceful nuclear energy program remains a model for others to follow,” he added.

Key decision makers of nuclear energy programs, energy policy makers, regulators, industry vendors, and legal and project finance specialists will all be represented in the meeting.

The conference, which will take place from Nov. 11-14, will provide an opportunity for the UAE to share its experiences as the first nation in more than three decades to break ground on a nuclear energy plant.

“Nuclear energy is one of the few technologies available to energy policy makers across the world to provide reliable and clean base-load electricity, with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mohamed Al-Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC).

Currently, more than 430 nuclear energy plants operate in 30 countries and generate 12.3 percent of the world’s electricity.

This number is set to rise, with 71 new nuclear plants currently under construction in 14 countries, and more than 40 countries who are seriously considering nuclear as a source of electricity.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman — had announced that the council was commissioning a study on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 2006. Saudi Arabia has plans to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years at a cost of more than $80 billion, with the first reactor on line in 2022.

The conference, which is scheduled to discuss critical issues for nations developing new nuclear energy programs — safety, quality, transparency, efficiency and continuous improvement — is presented by the US-based Goodnight Consulting in partnership with ENEC.