VIENNA // The UAE is strengthening its focus on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and hosted a workshop for journalists from the Middle East in Vienna last month.
Held at the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) in collaboration with Atomic Reporters, the workshop focused on nuclear security and safety.
“The concept is about giving access and information about technical” details, said Hamad Alkaabi, the UAE ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “The concept of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons is one of the issues that has a long history that took decades to mature. It is a very unique region [due to] all kinds of factors, such as nuclear weapons and non-compliance that engage world powers to solve them.
“But the UAE is interested in this because UAE policy has always been about transparency and openness.”
Several speakers expressed concern about nuclear weapons in the region.
“There are many states making critical decisions on nuclear at the moment that will affect future generations,” said Julian Borger, diplomatic editor at The Guardian. “Climate change is comparable as an issue but nuclear weapons have a much stronger capability of ending the world.”
Increased governance is needed in regional countries to accept some of the evolving regulations.
“Today we are struggling with all the current regimes, like the Missile Technology Control Regime, as developing countries,” said Mohammed Shaker, ambassador and chairman at the Egyptian council of foreign affairs.
Experts expressed concern that there was no way to control nuclear weapons.
“There is really only one WMD and that is nuclear weapons, because there is no defence against them,” said Tariq Rauf, director of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. “You can defend against chemical and biological but not nuclear. There is, as of yet, no prohibition on nuclear weapons other than the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Nine countries possess them and they are not restricted to any international prohibition.”
He said, however, that nuclear weapons were still useful in the arsenal of those nine countries.
“Nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence and strategy are important components still of international diplomacy. Because of the sheer destruction of nuclear weapons, it makes it more important that the international community has struggled to find a way to control [them].”
He said arms control should not be linked to domestic politics.
“Arms control is not a favour for good international behaviour.”
Since the Cold War ended, the estimated number of nuclear weapons dropped from 55,000 by about two thirds, with the US possessing 5,000 and Russia 12,000. Dismantling them will take decades.
“The US has about 4,000 weapons designated for dismantlement and Russia has 6,000 to 7,000,” said Dr Nikolai Sokov, a senior fellow at the VCDNP. “But to dismantle a nuclear weapon takes a long time and it is very expensive. These things will take years, about 15 to 20 to do the technical job.”
He said nuclear weapons had to be managed.
“As long as nuclear weapons exist, they need to be maintained,” Dr Sokov said. “An option is to reduce and manage nuclear arsenals, manage conventional strategic weapons and defence capabilities. This will represent a step towards nuclear disarmament.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
Naga
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Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
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Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
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● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
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Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
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Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
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Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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UAE's final round of matches
- Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
- Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
- Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
- Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
- Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
- Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
- Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
- June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
- Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
- Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')
Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500