DUBAI, 4th November, 2024 (WAM) -- The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) and Dubai Police are hosting the Technical Meeting on Lessons Learned from 20 Years of IAEA Support to Major Public Events, which is organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 4 to 7 November 2024 in Dubai.
More than 150 participants from 70 IAEA Member States are taking part in the meeting to exchange information and expertise in planning, developing and implementing nuclear security systems and measures for major public events. The workshop aims to showcase measures for the prevention, detection and response to nuclear security incident involving nuclear or other radioactive materials at major public events.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police for Operations, delivered the opening address at the technical meeting. Al Ghaithi welcomed participants from around the world, emphasising that the meeting serves as a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge and expertise with specialists and experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Major General Al Ghaithi urged attendees to benefit from the important discussions and valuable insights to better understand future challenges in the nuclear energy sector. He concluded by expressing his gratitude to the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation for its vital role in sharing knowledge, experiences, and insights into future challenges in this essential field.
Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), said, “The Technical Meeting is an important opportunity to discuss and showcase with the IAEA the experience surrounding nuclear security arrangements at major public events. The workshop is an opportunity for the participants to maximize their learning benefits by addressing challenges, sharing experiences, and discussing solutions concerning nuclear security measures in major public events. It is also a special year when the IAEA marks 20 years of helping countries in ensuring nuclear security during major sports events and international conferences. The UAE case studies on hosting Dubai Expo 2020 and COP28 are opportune examples showing the efforts orchestrated among relevant entities to ensure public safety in hosting such high-profile events."
The workshop included some case studies from the UAE in terms of its nuclear security arrangement especially for global events being organised in the country as well as case studies from Egypt, China, Morocco and Brazil on public events, which required close nuclear security arrangements to secure them.