VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, joined by Saudi Arabia's governor to the agency Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Sultan and other member state representatives, on Monday broke ground for a new facility that will help strengthen countries' abilities to tackle nuclear terrorism. The IAEA Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre, which is being built with the largest contribution from Saudi Arabia, will be located at the IAEA facility in Seibersdorf, 30 km south of Vienna, Austria, and is scheduled to be operational in 2023. The center, and the multi-purpose building that will house it, has so far drawn over 11.3 million euros in extra-budgetary funding, with Saudi Arabia taking a lead with a pledge of 8.3 million euros (nearly $10 million), followed by the United Kingdom with 2 million euros and the United States with 1 million euros. Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Sultan, who is also Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Austria and the Kingdom's permanent representative to the UN and international organizations in Vienna, took to Twitter to express his joy, saying: "@iaeaorg Nuclear Security Center has been inaugurated! The Kingdom is proud to have contributed to creating this vital organization that will reduce trafficking and enhances the physical protection of nuclear materials. Many thanks to DG @rafaelmgrossi for his tireless efforts." Meanwhile, the IAEA chief said: "This center will help us in supporting countries to remain ahead of the curve in guarding against nuclear terrorism." "It will reinforce the central role the Agency plays in this area of international importance." The center will provide more than 2,000 square meters of specialized technical infrastructure and equipment. Hands-on training will be conducted on demonstration systems and virtual reality environments. These platforms will emulate security systems used at nuclear power plants, research reactors and border crossings. Participants will practice procedures on access and alarm controls, inspect physical protection systems, better understand computer security risks, and learn how to sweep an area for radioactive material during major public events, among other activities. Exercises at the training center will also strengthen capabilities in radiological crime scene management and nuclear forensics. "Thanks to the great generosity of our donor countries this new facility will expand the topic areas covered by the IAEA's Seibersdorf complex," Grossi added. The IAEA Seibersdorf facility houses eight nuclear applications laboratories working in food and agriculture, human health, environmental monitoring and assessment, as well as two safeguards analytical laboratories for nuclear verification.
