Under the patronage and attendance of His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and with the participation of His Excellency Mr Christophe Farnaud, Ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the concluding meeting to launch the Radiological Data Exchange Platform Project (GCC-RDEP) was held on Monday (April 7, 2025), at the General Secretariat’s headquarters in Riyadh.
At the beginning of his speech, HE the GCC Secretary General expressed his utmost gratitude and appreciation for the inauguration of this vital project, which is one of the most prominent modern initiatives that significantly contribute to the advancement of the systems in the region, enabling them to keep pace with developments and understand and contain risks at their early stages.
His Excellency also pointed out that the establishment of the Operations Room at the GCC Emergency Management Centre and the integration of various early warning systems across the GCC countries are based on the directives of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Interior and Defence of the GCC states, adding that this underscores the Council's commitment to safeguarding the stability and security of the region, maintaining the interconnectedness and cohesion of its systems, as well as equipping them with the latest advanced devices and technologies to predict emergencies or potential problems and to respond swiftly.
"We are reaping the fruits of continuous and unique work through the Radiological Data Exchange Project (GCC-RDEP) which aims to mitigate the impacts of radiological and nuclear disasters in the GCC region. This is achieved through the exchange of radiological data from monitoring devices in GCC countries and the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, enabling the monitoring of disasters at their onset and in the early stages, while they are still forming, analysing their potential outcomes through advanced simulation systems, and subsequently presenting appropriate technical recommendations to decision-makers in GCC countries for suitable action," he stated.
HE the Secretary General commended the significant contributions and efforts made by the project partners, which include representatives of the European Union, as well as representatives from the GCC countries, both decision-makers and specialists in nuclear and radiological emergencies, in addition to the security sector and the GCC Emergency Management Centre, through their collaborative efforts to launch this project.
His Excellency also appreciated the high-level relations between the GCC and the European Union at all levels, referring to the first European-Gulf Summit held in Brussels in October 2024 and the numerous outcomes resulting from it regarding joint cooperation in various fields, including technical cooperation at all levels, especially in mitigating the impacts of radiological and nuclear disasters.
He concluded his speech by expressing his blessings for these accelerating steps towards unique achievements and wishing for success in disseminating the results of this project and the lessons learned among decision-makers at the level of the GCC.
