JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has included renewable and nuclear energy in its future plans and building King Abdullah City for Renewable and Atomic Energy is a symbol of the commitment to meeting energy needs, Dr. Abdul Ghani Milabari, coordinator of Scientific Cooperation at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, said Monday. Milabari addressed international and local environmental experts during the first session of Gulf Environment and Sustainable Development Forum. Milabari said the use of oil in Saudi Arabia is increasing, which is causing a need for other sources of energy. “Saudi Arabia is working on developing clean, renewable energy through a plan that starts this year and ends in 2030,” he said. The developments will save non-renewable energy and create jobs, according to Dr. Milabari. “This kind of energy will open many vacancies for Saudis and decrease carbon emissions by 60 percent,” he said. Alexander Bychkov, the International Atomic Energy Agency's deputy director general and head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, said the organization has received about 25 requests for membership and accepted requests from Jordan and United Arab Emirates. “Currently, we have five new Nuclear reactors in addition to 12 new locations,” he said. “Consumption of energy has increased and many countries started to look for energy security.” The organization started to change its strategy of granting permission to build nuclear reactors after the damage to the Fukushima nuclear reactor after an earthquake in Japan and after the difficulties that have faced the Iranian reactor for six years, he said. Prof. Habib Abualhamayel, director of the Center of Research Excellence at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, said the Ministry of Higher Education provided SR40 million to support renewable-energy research. The work is expected to end by 2012, he added. “The center aims to provide qualified Saudis who study renewable energy and intensify this kind of education in the Saudi universities,” he said. He added that the school has several programs related to solar energy, thermal research and renewable energy. Kishan Khoday, Deputy Resident Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Development Program, said the organization has a number of programs to protect the environment. Its network includes 160 countries and 19 regional areas, he added. “About $386 million have been spent to support the programs of the United Nations,” he said. “The programs have included political dialogue, nuclear energy, developing abilities through scientific research and supporting partners in terms of environmental issues.” Energy efficiency will increase in the coming years as more countries focus on renewable energy, he added. Dr. Raik Jarjis, founder and CEO of Oxford Knowledge Consultants and Alphameta Ltd, said Saudi Arabia and many countries around the world face the need for more energy, which is leading them to look at other sources such as solar energy and nuclear energy. “The biggest challenge facing Saudi Arabia is to provide energy in the coming 20 years, especially electricity, and build nuclear power plants at the same time,” he said.
