King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, will inaugurate an “International Symposium On the Peaceful Applications of Nuclear Technology” on Nov.3. The conference, to be held over three days at King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU) in Jeddah, follows last year's GCC summit in Riyadh which called for a joint nuclear program for peaceful purposes according to standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Prior to the summit, Abdul Rahman Al-Attayia, GCC Secretary General, met Muhammad ElBaradei, the IAEA Director General in Geneva, to explore a feasibility study for the program. At their summit the GCC leaders endorsed the decision to perform a study on the program and stressed the importance of denuclearization of the region. The Higher Committee at the GCC Council had referred the matter to a scientific panel formed of professors from Gulf universities and King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology. The symposium will discuss a range of issues including strategic planning for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in GCC states, the supply of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, protection from radioactivity and the peaceful utilization of isotopes. – Okaz __
