New York, April 3, 2016: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated $10 million to establish a specialized center to combat nuclear terrorism at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna, Austria. It has also donated $570,000 for the project to modernize the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria.
This announcement was made by Dr. Hashim Abdullah Yamani, President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and head of the Saudi delegation to the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
Dr. Yamani said Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries that supported international resolutions related to nuclear security. He said the Kingdom has ratified the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and supports the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism as a party to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
Dr. Yamani reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to international activities in the field of nuclear security, citing the Kingdom’s support for the establishment of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center in 2011. Saudi Arabia pledged $10 million to the U.N. to establish the Center in 2008. In 2014, Saudi Arabia donated $100 million to the Center to build its capabilities and effectiveness in helping countries combat terrorism.
With this donation, the kingdom has yet again reiterated that it stands against terrorism of all kinds. But it is yet to be seen what it does to stop the growing marks of ISIS in the Middle-East. The growth of ISIS is the biggest threat to the region and as the leader of the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia must take steps to crush the terrorist organisation.
The kingdom has often been criticized by the press for its human rights record and also for the promotion of Wahabism, which is said to be the ideology used by extremists for unleashing violence against the non-Muslims.
