الوكالة تدعم طلائع المتصدين السعوديين في التصدي للطوارئ الإشعاعية والنووية

Organized through an ongoing IAEA technical cooperation (TC) project[1], the training course was designed to give attendees an overview of the terminology and objectives of emergency preparedness and response, and then to provide detail on specific, practical elements. The focus of the training course covered a range of relevant topics, from the role of the IAEA and the structure of response organizations to exploring guidelines for personal protection, site decontamination and communication with the public.

“For Saudi Arabia, we have benefited from the IAEA’s expertise and knowledge in the emergency preparedness and response field,” said Nasser Alkhomashi, Vice President of the Emergency and Radiological Monitoring Sector of Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC). “This training course allowed us to enhance our capacities and helped us to improve our national arrangements to respond to radiological and nuclear emergencies. We also gained in-depth knowledge of different subjects, such as medical response and public communication.”

The training course was developed on the basis of the Manual of First Responders to a Radiological Emergency, an IAEA publication first released in 2006—currently under revision to reflect the latest technical guidance related to radiological emergencies.

“Training first responders from different national officials to respond efficiently to a nuclear or radiological emergency at the local, regional and national levels helps enhance Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in the field,” said Assi.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to increase and diversify its electricity production for continued economic growth and development. In 2018, the Government announced its intention to add nuclear power to the country’s energy mix. Following the announcement, in 2019 Saudi Arabia hosted an INIR mission.

“This was an important national course for first responders to radiation emergencies, and we appreciated the provision of training material in Arabic,” said Mohammed Hussain Najjar, Head of Saudi Customs’ Radiation Safety and Dangerous Goods Division. “I look forward to more specialized IAEA courses in the field of emergency preparedness and response, at all levels.”

[1] SAU9011, ‘Supporting the Implementation of the Regulatory Body and the Development of Nuclear Regulations’.