The Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission and the Arab Atomic Energy Agency concluded the "Seventh Arab Forum on Prospects for Electricity Generation and Sea Water Desalination Using Nuclear Energy", which was organized in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Arab Ministerial Council on Electricity at the League of Arab States.
The forum's events, according to the agency's statement today, Sunday, featured discussions on the role of nuclear energy in securing water and energy in the Arab world, with the participation of Dr. Mikhail Chudakov, the Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The forum was held at a time when most Arab countries are facing common challenges, including increasing energy demand and water scarcity, with a shift towards reducing carbon emissions, making nuclear energy a strategic option, as there is an urgent need for a comprehensive Arab developmental program for nuclear energy that places the Arab peoples among advanced nations.
The forum emphasized the importance of enhancing Arab cooperation to face these challenges in the Arab world, explaining that the rapid developments in the field of energy and nuclear sciences require more integration and cooperation among Arab countries to keep up with these developments and challenges, due to their significant importance in achieving sustainable development in the Arab world and ensuring security and prosperity for the Arab peoples.
During the forum, it was emphasized that nuclear energy represents a fundamental strategic option to support sustainable development in Arab countries through its role in providing a reliable and low-carbon emission source for electricity generation and water desalination, and enhancing energy and water security in the region.
Participants praised the significant progress made by the Arab nuclear programs, especially in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, calling for benefiting from these experiences as regional models for transferring expertise and building capacities.
The forum also emphasized the importance of integrating small modular reactors within national strategies for electricity generation and water desalination, to enhance integration between nuclear energy projects and seawater desalination.
The forum stressed the necessity of developing independent legislative and regulatory frameworks, and unifying Arab standards in the fields of nuclear safety, security, and safeguards, including the establishment of a unified Arab protocol for nuclear cybersecurity, along with focusing on the economic and financial aspects of nuclear projects and pioneering financing models.
Participants called for enhancing Arab and international cooperation in the fields of advanced nuclear technology and establishing joint nuclear power station projects between neighboring countries, managing the nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste, and exploiting nuclear raw materials of uranium and thorium available in Arab territories, in addition to intensifying training programs and capacity building through the establishment of a regional Arab center for nuclear education and training.
The forum also recommended the introduction of nuclear fusion energy as a long-term strategic option for the Arab region and to engage in coordinated research programs on nuclear fusion within Arab universities and research centers by benefiting from the experiences and facilities of international nuclear fusion.
Experts from 10 Arab countries in the nuclear energy sector participated in the forum, along with representatives from regional and international organizations concerned with the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in addition to the participation of technology providers, namely the Russian company (ROSATOM) and the Chinese company (CNNC).
