The 63rd Annual Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference kicked off yesterday in Vienna, Austria. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Energy, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), Saudi Embassy in Austria and related bodies, is participating in the Conference, which will continue until September 20. The Kingdom's delegation to the conference was headed by Chairman of KACARE Dr. Khalid bin Saleh Al-Sultan, with the participation of Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to International Organizations in Vienna. Chairman of KACARE delivered a speech in which he stressed that the ambitious Kingdom's Vision 2030 considers the peaceful uses of atomic energy, such as in electricity generation, and some medical diagnostic and therapeutic uses, as an important aspect in achieving the Vision's goals of sustainable growth in all fields and the Kingdom's regions. He pointed out that the Kingdom's Vision and its executive programs regard many of these peaceful applications as factors that help the growth and development of local communities in different areas of life. Dr. Al-Sultan also said that the Kingdom has endeavored to develop advanced programs aimed at introducing atomic energy into the national energy mix, through a comprehensive national program for the use of atomic energy in the fields of electricity generation, water desalination and some medical fields, following the highest international standards in safety, transparency and cooperation. In this framework, the Saudi National Atomic Energy Project, which consists of elements that will contribute to the sustainable development of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, has been approved.
