RIYADH: The Kingdom is working closely with South Korea on developing technology for small, compact, nuclear reactors that will help Saudi engineers acquire knowledge in the field and the Kingdom to become a developer, owner and leader in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
Working to this end, the Korean Nuclear Energy Research Institute (KNERI) and the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable energy (K.A.CARE) entered a partnership to develop the technology needed to build small compact nuclear reactors and enable the Kingdom to come into the possession of this technology in order to implement it in diversified sustainable energy program.
The first phase of the joint project for compact nuclear reactors began successfully in South Korea, Youngjae Kim, Korean embassy spokesman in Riyadh, said Saturday, adding that this SMART cooperation is one of the projects that was signed in 2015 during the visit to the Kingdom by South Korean President Geun-Hye Park.
Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Pyung-oh Kwon welcomed the success of the first phase of work in nuclear energy and expressed hope in the further progress of the SMART cooperation project with the Kingdom, which intends to become a leader in atomic and renewable energy by exerting efforts to diversify energy sources and, by extension, the economy, a goal set under Saudi Vision 2030.
K.A.CARE had earlier said that it hoped this partnership would enable the Saudization of nuclear knowledge, support value chains and the Kingdom's entry as a developer, owner and exporter of nuclear energy technologies in the future.
It added that the first KNERI-K.A.CARE meeting to review the progress of SMART cooperation was held in the city of Dijon, South Korea. The Korean companies participating in the Smart project took part in the meeting that reviewed the project's timetable and the challenges ahead.
A technical Saudi team is working side by side with KNERI to be able to run the project, getting trained and participating in the preparations of the engineering designs of the compact reactor, said the statement.
The technical output of the contractors were also coordinated during the meeting, to ensure that the project gets completed in time to enable the Korean companies to prepare the engineering designs of the power station expected to be built in the Kingdom for the purpose of producing power and desalinating water.
K.A.CARE specialists participating in the meeting made a summary presentation of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP-2020) in order to familiarize the companies participating in the project with the ambitious vision of the Kingdom.
The Smart reactor project is one of K.A.CARE initiatives to develop atomic and renewable energy, approved in the NTP-2020.
Riyadh, Seoul working on compact reactors for nuclear energy
Riyadh, Seoul working on compact reactors for nuclear energy
Saudi crown prince receives leaders on sidelines of special WEF meeting
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received the emir of Kuwait and the prime minister of Iraq separately in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meetings with Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, the crown prince discussed aspects of relations between the Kingdom and Kuwait and Iraq. Opportunities to develop relations in various fields were also discussed.
Leaders and officials are in Riyadh to attend the World Economic Forum’s special meeting on global collaboration, growth and energy for development that is currently taking place in the capital. The meeting will end on Monday.
Saudi FM: Commitment to two-state solution only way to prevent Gaza war reoccurring
- ‘It’s good that we hear most of our partners and the international community support that notion,’ Prince Faisal says
RIYADH: Only a real commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can prevent the war in Gaza from reoccurring, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday.
“We in the region are not going to focus only on solving the crisis of the moment, we’re going to look at how we can solve the bigger problem in the context of Gaza. That is, a real commitment to a two-state solution, that is, a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian state,” he told the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh.
“That’s the only reasonable and credible solution that guarantees us from not having to come back to this same situation two, three, four years down the line.”
He added that it was up to the international community, especially those countries that have the most influence, and the UN Security Council to help implement the solution.
“It’s good that we hear most of our partners and the international community support that notion. Now we have to translate that into reality.
“We need to move from talk, to action, to concrete steps. And it can’t be left up to the warring parties. We, the international community, and especially those countries that have the most influence, the most impact, the Security Council have to step in,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry echoed Prince Faisal’s call and said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be resolved until a two-state solution came into effect.
“I’ve always advocated the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, because that’s the underlying problem. Until you resolve that … you will probably have a short-term pause, but it will recur with even greater vengeance. So we don’t want that, we want a solution to this once and for all,” he said.
Prince Faisal said the Kingdom would do everything it could to push in the direction of a two-state solution and that he was hopeful the international community would do the right thing and make the concept a reality.
“If we all agree that the Palestinian state and giving the Palestinians their right, is the solution that gives everybody what they need: security, stability, their rights, then we should all decide we’re going to invest all of our resources in making that happen.
“If we make that decision, the pathway will unfold before us, even if there are those that will try to stop it. There are levers clear, there are levers hidden, that can push us in that direction. So I want to be hopeful … and I know that we as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will do everything we can to push in that direction.
“And hopefully, the international community, given everything that has happened and given the risks involved in not doing the right thing, will come along, and we’re working with our partners, the Europeans among them and many others, to try and translate that intent into reality,” Prince Faisal said.
Saudi Environment Ministry honors first female veterinary graduates
- The women honored were from King Faisal University
- Event showcased the ministry’s commitment to supporting and empowering women and would help to create new job opportunities for them
RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Al-Ahsa on Saturday honored the Kingdom’s first female veterinary graduates.
The event, held on World Veterinary Day, was staged in cooperation with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases and attended by officials and stakeholders from the veterinary field, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The women honored were from King Faisal University.
The report said the event showcased the ministry’s commitment to supporting and empowering women and would help to create new job opportunities for them.
Vets play a vital role in public health as the first line of defense against diseases that affect both humans and animals. Their contributions include diagnosing and preventing the spread of disease and providing care.
The ministry said the national center supported vets in fulfilling that role by providing resources and mechanisms.
The center is also committed to creating an environment that fosters the growth of veterinary work and promotes sustainable development in the agricultural sector.
Saudi FM leads Gaza committee urging sanctions on Israel
- Ministers also addressed the repression faced by peaceful demonstrators in Western nations who advocate for an end to the conflict in Gaza
RIYADH: Ministers gathering in Riyadh to discuss the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip stressed the urgent need for imposing sanctions on Israel, the Saudi Press Agency reported Sunday.
Chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, the meeting comprising dignitaries from a group formed jointly by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League convened to address developments in Gaza.
The ministers called for international legal mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable, alongside decisive action against settler terrorism.
The officials from Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Qatar and the OIC advocated for halting arms exports in response to Israel's violations of international law and war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
It was strongly asserted during the meeting that the Gaza Strip constitutes an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory, rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian population from their homeland or to carry out military operations within the city of Rafah.
Ministers also addressed the repression faced by peaceful demonstrators in Western nations who advocate for an end to the conflict in Gaza and condemn Israeli violations against Palestinians.
The meeting also focused on enhancing joint Arab and Islamic efforts to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, with a priority on safeguarding civilian lives and ensuring the consistent delivery of humanitarian aid.
There was a commitment to persist in international endeavors aimed at recognizing an independent Palestinian state. This included the endorsement of a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as its capital within the borders of June 4, 1967, in alignment with relevant international resolutions.
Saudi deputy minister attends 50th Arab Labor Conference
RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor, Abdullah bin Nasser Abu Thanin, led the Saudi delegation at the 50th session of the Arab Labor Conference, being held from April 27 to May 4 in Baghdad.
Labor ministers, heads and members of delegations from employers’ organizations, and labor unions from 21 Arab countries, along with representatives from the Arab League and other Arab and international organizations, are attending the conference.
The opening session of the conference included the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani; Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit; and Director General of the International Labor Organization, Gilbert Houngbo.
During the plenary session of the conference, Abu Thanin delivered a speech in which he emphasized the importance of early qualification and training to meet the labor market’s needs, highlighting technical, personal, and social skills as well as modern work patterns.
Abu Thanin also highlighted the Kingdom’s significant commitment to investing in and developing human resources through the Vision 2030 programs and labor market strategy, along with its various initiatives.
He also pointed out the ministry’s initiative in holding the Global Labor Market Conference in partnership with the International Labor Organization and the World Bank, with the participation of a group of international experts and specialists with the aim of setting plans for future changes in the labor market.
The conference participants are expected to discuss several issues and reports, including the arrangement and coordination of Arab participation in the activities of the upcoming International Labor Conference organized by the International Labor Organization, scheduled to be held in Geneva.
The Arab Labor Organization is one of the organizations of the Arab League, established in 1965. It is considered the first specialized Arab organization concerned with labor and workers’ affairs at the level of the Arab world.
