UAE | General
Gulf states get draft study on nuclear energy
The Gulf Cooperation Council states have received the preliminary copy of the draft study of their project of utilisation of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 00:27 November 20, 2007
Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council states have received the preliminary copy of the draft study of their project of utilisation of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
This was disclosed by the GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah in press statements in Riyadh following the end of Opec summit.
The draft study was prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The draft study will be forwarded to the GCC leaders during their forthcoming meeting in Doha, Qatar, Al Attiyah noted, adding that the final decision about any future steps will be taken by the GCC leaders.
He pointed out that the GCC states' involvement in nuclear technology would be for peaceful purposes.
The Jaber summit, which was held in December last year, endorsed that the GCC states embark on nuclear technology for peaceful purposes according to international standards, he added.
Dollar peg
Al Attiyah says the GCC states have always called for freeing the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction and countries in the region should use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Asked about the request made by Iran and Venezuela for shifting from the US dollar to other currencies in regard to oil purchase, the GCC secretary- general said that Saudi Arabia's view in this context is correct and that the two countries expressed their own viewpoints.
Al Attiyah ruled out postponement of GCC single currency till 2015. He added that the GCC finance ministers and governor of central banks have studied the issue as it was planned for 2010.
According to the decision issued by the Supreme Council in its meeting in 2001, a timeframe was set for launching the customs union and the single currency, he clarified, adding that a report in this respect will be forwarded to the Doha summit.
Looking ahead: First power station
The first atomic power station in the Gulf Cooperation Council may be ready by 2025, if an ongoing feasibility study on nuclear energy is approved by the GCC Supreme Council, Undersecretary of the UAE's Ministry of Energy, Ali Abdullah Al Owais, said yesterday.
"According to the initial feasibility study conducted by the GCC Secretariat, it is expected that nuclear energy will enter the Arab Gulf states' markets in 2025," said Al Owais in a speech at the 13th annual energy conference here, a three-day event to discuss future Arabian Gulf energy sources - Hydrocarbon, Nuclear or Renewable. The conference is organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.
Al Owais said nuclear energy is considered as the optimal means to generate electricity power in the world today. In 2006, there were about 442 nuclear plants in 44 countries, he said.
"The Gulf states are obliged to make the necessary preparations to use this sort of energy. In this respect, it is worth mentioning that the GCC states have adopted a joint programme to develop nuclear energy for power generation and for water desalination," said Al Owais.
He also said the GCC countries are studying the feasibility of nuclear energy under the umbrella of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter
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