Speaking yesterday on the sidelines of a two-day conference called ‘Nuclear Technologies in the Service of Arab Society’ Minister for Oil and Gas Affairs Dr Abdul Hussain Mirza said this conference was another step in the process of initiating a discussion on the various aspects of the technology. He also expressed the hope the Kingdom could be a centre for training personnel in the region.
Bahrain, he said had hosted a seminar on solar and wind technology recently, which was part of an exercise to look at the various alternatives available to it. He said “We have to plan for the future no doubt, we may be sitting in a region which provides most of the oil to the world but at the present rate of consumption how long do you think it is going to last. In addition petroleum is necessary for other products like plastic and cannot be wasted on running automobiles.”
With regard to the location of the reactor and the financing required for it he said it was too early to comment. The minister stressed on the commitment of Bahrain and other GCC states to comply with the requirements of the IAAEI. All the nuclear facilities to be set up in the region would be open for necessary supervision and inspection.
Meanwhile, speaking at the inauguration of the two-day seminar, Dr Mansoor Al Arayedh, Chairman, Al Shartan Gulf Council for Foreign Relations said GCC states needed to diversify their energy sources. This would help in coping with the increasing demand on electricity and water that resulted from the developmental boom in the region and the rise of numbers of expatriate manpower in it.
Al Arrayed said countries in the GCC would require uranium enriched with a purity of 3 to 4 per cent. Going above this rate would cause even Arab nations themselves to question their intentions. The two-day seminar has attracted delegates from all over the world.
