From January 26-30, 2025, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (USNRC) International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP) conducted a Research and Test Reactors Construction Licensing Workshop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The workshop was hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Nuclear Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC). The audience included senior managers and numerous staff members from NRRC, as well as representatives from the licensee at the Low Power Research Reactor at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
IRDP instructors, Dr. Steve Reese, Mr. Rich Holm, and Mr. Al Adams, discussed various aspects and issues related to safety analysis review and licensing for research and test reactors. In addition, a presentation and discussion took place concerning a startup plan for their new reactor.
All the NRRC counterparts indicated that the workshop was beneficial. The attendees expressed satisfaction with the conduct, format, and outcome of the workshop. The interactive discussions between the AdSTM experts and workshop participants were instrumental for the success of the workshop.