ATHENS 

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Wednesday that nuclear energy is key for sustainability in the Middle East

As manifested by the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai last December, there has been recognition that nuclear energy is part of the solution, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a discussion panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Drawing attention to ongoing civil nuclear projects in the Middle East, including those in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, he said this a very promising trend to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

He said small modular nuclear reactors in particular are among the modern nuclear technologies which can allow more countries to utilize nuclear energy to transform their economies.

“This why there is huge interest in that," Grossi said, adding that many nuclear technology producing countries such as the US, UK, China and South Korea are investing in the development and market of small modular nuclear reactors.

“Many countries are talking about using those in different fields; for example in desalination, green hydrogen production, powering artificial intelligence, database platforms,“ he added.