His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received at Al Husseiniya Palace a delegation of the International Advisory Group (IAG) on the Jordan Nuclear Energy Programme.

King Abdullah thanked the IAG, which includes some of the foremost international experts on atomic energy, for its insight and recommendations on the Kingdom’s nuclear energy programme and ensuring that it meets the highest international safety and transparency standards.

His Majesty called for ensuring the feasibility of nuclear energy utilisation to enhance the economic competitiveness and provide electricity at a competitive cost.

The King emphasised that the project should be implemented in partnership with the private sector and through international investment and support to avoid adding burdens on the Treasury, stressing the need to ensure the highest levels of safety and performance by upgrading the sector’s regulatory bodies and building capacities in this field.

His Majesty also called for utilising the latest technologies to enable Jordan to build a programme that is up to the latest international standards.

Jordan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Khaled Toukan gave a briefing on the progress of the nuclear programme's three projects—uranium exploration and mining, the Jordan Research and Training Reactor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, and the projected nuclear power plant.

Toukan highlighted the importance of the nuclear programme in diversifying energy sources in the Kingdom, which imports most of its energy needs, also touching on the legislative environment governing atomic energy projects in Jordan.

The IAG delegates spoke about the latest technologies in nuclear energy and internationally adopted safety standards, stressing that Jordan has the infrastructure and human resources to become a regional hub for training and research on nuclear energy, citing the research reactor and the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East.

Established under a Cabinet decision in 2015, the IAG is tasked with reviewing Jordan’s progress in implementing its nuclear programme and offering recommendations to ensure it adheres to international safety standards.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan also attended the meeting.