Finnish officials and technicians said they were working closely with their Saudi Arabian counterparts to develop a nuclear power regulatory system to provide oversight to the nuclear energy industry in the Middle Eastern country.
Finland's Minister of Education, Science and Communications Krista Kikuyu, who visited the Saudi Arabia Kingdom recently, said authorities from the Finnish agency STUK were working with their counterparts at KACARE – the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy.
“This comes within the framework of the cooperative agreement for the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” the Arab News quoted Kiuru as saying.
Training and consulting experts from Finnish engineering firm Poyry have been involved in the effort to upgrade Saudi Arabian expertise. Their efforts are expected to dovetail with work the Gulf Cooperation Council, which has commissioned French experts to develop a long-term energy strategy for member countries.
The Gulf Cooperation Council includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman as members.
Although oil-rich, Saudi Arabia is interested in broadening its energy production base due to rapid population growth, the News said.