​​NRRC Chairman Meets with His UAE Counterpart

​​NRRC Chairman Meets with His UAE Counterpart

Dr. Khalid Al-Essa, Chairman of the NRRC, met today in Riyadh with Christer Viktorsson, Director General of the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, along with the accompanying delegation. They discussed aspects of cooperation in nuclear and radiological regulation and ways to strengthen it for the benefit of both countries.

The visiting delegation was given a presentation on the NRRC's mission, objectives, and projects, which focus on protecting people and the environment, as well as the Commission's efforts to promote a culture of safety through various channels and media.

The delegation also visited the NRRC's Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Operations Center, where they learned about its national responsibilities, operational mechanisms, and systems, including nuclear and radiological incident simulation programs and their impact assessments on the Kingdom. The visit highlighted the center's integration with the IAEA systems for receiving international notifications of nuclear and radiological incidents.

Additionally, the progress of the national continuous environmental radiation monitoring and early warning network in the Kingdom was reviewed. Currently, the network comprises 140 radiation monitoring stations distributed across various regions of the Kingdom, based on nuclear risk assessment studies conducted by the NRRC. The planned expansion of this network aims to enhance its capabilities by adding 100 more radiation monitoring stations in 2022.

The Emergency Operations Center also showcased the Kingdom's role and participation in the IAEA ConvEx-3 exercise, held in October 2021, which simulated a severe nuclear incident at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The presentation included the national-level measures taken by the Kingdom in response to the exercise. Both parties explored ways to develop joint exercises and enhance collaboration in this area.​​