By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) will host the 14th Annual Energy Conference here next month to evaluate the development of nuclear energy in the Gulf.
According to ECSSR director general Jamal Sanad Al Suweidi, the main purpose of the conference, to be held Nov 24-26, would be to evaluate the potential development of peaceful nuclear energy in the Gulf as a viable option to meet the considerable future energy needs of the region.
The interest in evaluating nuclear energy in the region is motivated by the need to develop additional sources of electricity to meet future demand projections and to ensure the continued rapid development of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) comprise the GCC.
The conference will first assess the reasons for and implications of the peaceful application of nuclear energy in the Gulf region within the context of energy security, climate change and proliferation risks.
It will also examine the requirements and imperatives of the roadmap for developing a peaceful nuclear capability and the economic viability of the nuclear power option as well as its political and social implications.
The conference will also provide a comparative outlook for the status of nuclear energy in the region by assessing the respective cases of India, Iran, Israel and Pakistan.