[en] The Director General has received a letter dated 10 June 2005 from the Resident Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the light of the request expressed at the end of the letter, the text of the letter is attached hereto for the information of Member States

[en] I am pleased to open this address by expressing my appreciation to you and to confirm the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's cooperation in attaining the goals sought by this high-level meeting. We thank our friends in the People's Republic of China for their excellent hosting of this important conference. We are all keen to shoulder the task deriving from our recognition of the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the development and well-being of humankind. We all understand the importance of making international efforts to develop all the possible technical aspects of the uses of nuclear energy so as to increase production efficiency, to optimize radioactive waste management and to enhance safety levels. All of this in order to face the growing demand for energy at the global level since, in this sphere, there are many States which are seriously seeking sources of energy and are focusing on nuclear energy. This includes my country, which is seriously considering the option of introducing nuclear energy among other sources of energy. We are all aware of the readiness of the Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in the framework of its programme activities and services, to respond to the requests for technical assistance expected from States embarking on the use of nuclear energy, to support their national plans to this end, and to ensure that the implementation of the planned national programmes is in line with international safety and security levels. Also, we recognize the leading role of this Agency in the development of all the technical and legal aspects of the applications of nuclear energy, thus emphasizing the need for full support of these aspects. We underline the important role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and of the comprehensive safeguards agreement in connection with it, and the need to work towards its universalization, to increase the number of geographical regions free from nuclear weapons - of which the most important is perhaps the Middle East - so as to achieve international security and peace, and to strengthening the exploitation of technology for the welfare of humankind. Allow me to conclude this address by expressing the sincere hope that our Conference can make a fitting contribution in helping States and the International Atomic Energy Agency to expand the safe and secure use of atomic energy, and therefore to boost the momentum of its contribution to electricity generation, water desalination, health and welfare at the global level, and elimination of nuclear weapons and prevention of their proliferation in the world. Thank you.

[en] The aims of the present survey were to determine whether differences existed between male and female dentists in Saudi Arabia in career development, positions occupied within their employment, and to analyze the effect of different variables on their career development in some of the provinces in Saudi Arabia. A self-conducted questionnaire was distributed among male and female dentists, general practitioners as well as specialists, working at several governmental hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaires consisted of 40 questions in the format of multiple choices and yes/no answer. Data were analyzed by gender with the significant difference level set at (P < 0.05). The response rate was 40.8% of which 51.9% were females and 48.1% males with 70% of them below 45 years of age. No significant difference was found between males and females in having higher education or additional degrees. The specialty that was highly reported among females was pedodontics and in males, orthodontics. Males were more likely to hold authorized administrative positions (63%), while females held administrative positions which were internally arranged by their departments (57%). Eighty-three percent of female respondents thought that there was favouritism towards males in appointment to administrative positions, while only 5.5% of male respondents reported that there was favouritism to females in occupying the same positions. There was no significant difference between male and female dentists in Saudi Arabia with respect to job opportunities, working hours and relationships with their colleagues. In addition, there is evidence of an intensifying determination of female dentists in Saudi Arabia, to pursue their chosen career while coping with the diverse demands of being a professional, a wife and mother. (author)

[en] Radwastes are produced in medical, industrial and educational institutions in Saudi Arabia. In medical centers many of the unsealed sources were low beta/gamma emitters of low radio-toxicity and less than about 4 months half-life. Significant radionuclides in this category were: ^99mTc, ¹³¹I, ¹²⁵I, ¹²³I, ¹¹¹In, ²⁰¹Tl, ⁶⁷Ga and some of others. Longer lived sources such as ⁵⁷Co, ³H, and ¹⁴C were also found in appreciable quantity. Delay and decay procedure followed by release to the sewerage or municipal landfill has been practiced for short-lived radwaste. Pretreatment and temporary storage were encouraged at large centers. Industrial sealed sources used primarily in radiography and well logging were mainly: ⁶⁰Co, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁹²Ir, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴¹Am-Be and ²⁵²Cf. It was agreed that radwastes whose half lives are above 138.4 days, the half life of ²¹⁰Po, should be subject to conditioning treatment and permanent storage. It was anticipated that two main parameters affect the increase in radwaste in the future. The first is the increase of radionuclides use in hospitals in diagnosis and therapy in the country. The second is the increase in population which should be associated with increase in medical services in general. The annual long lived waste that need treatment, conditioning and storage as a function of time is expected to follow the relation: V= 10+0.48t², where V is the waste volume in m³ and t is the time in years after 1995. The expected long lived cumulative treated, conditioned, and liquid wastes in that year if not subject to volume reduction in m³ are expected to be: 500, 75, and 100 respectively. Comparisons were made with IAEA waste volume expectations for countries of similar conditions: the cumulative radwastes in m³ in 2020 are expected to be: 800, 125 and 175 respectively

[en] The presentation of Fig. 4 was incorrect.

[en] To present the experience of King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) with uveal melanoma over the last two decades in a fashion similar to the result of the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS). Retrospective, non-comparative, interventional, case series. All patients were diagnosed with uveal melanoma at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from June 1983 to July 2005 and met the inclusion criteria of the COMS. A medical record review of clinical history, imaging studies, surgical procedures and treatment outcome was performed. Forty patients (24 males and 16 females) with uveal melanoma (average age 50 years; range 24-77 years) were included in the study; 28 (70%) were of Saudi Arabian descent and the remaining 12 (30%) patients were from neighboring Arab countries. Decreased vision was the main presenting complaint of 29 (72.5%) patients; the duration of this symptom was 3 months or more in 27 (67.5%) patients. The apical height of the tumor was 10 mm or more in nine (22.5%) of the affected eyes and the largest basal dimension was more than 16 mm in nine (22.5%) of the affected eyes. The posterior border of the tumor was 1-2 mmfrom the optic disc in three (7.5%) affected eyes. Primary enucleation was performed for 33 (82.5%) eyes, episcleral radiation plaque therapy for six (15%) of the eyes and endo resection of the uveal melanoma in one (2.5%) eye. Adjunct external beam radiation therapy was performed in two (5%) orbits for extrascleral extension. The histopathological diagnosis was available for 34 (84%) eyes in which surgery had been performed (33 patients underwent primary enucleation and one patient underwent endo resection of the uveal melanoma); 24 (70.6%) eyes had spindle cell and the remaining 10 (29.4%) had epithelioid or mixed cell types. Evidence of extraocular tumor extension was found in three eyes. The average follow-up was 33.7 months with a median of 19 months (range 0.5 months to 10 years). Two (5%) patients developed metastasis after 2 years and 5 years from the initial treatment of large and medium-sized uveal melanomas, respectively. Individuals of Saudi Arabian ancestry appear to have a low incidence of uveal melanoma. Further studies are required to estimate the true incidence of uveal melanoma in the larger Arab population. Early detection is essential for improving the patient outcomes. Regular communication between the tertiary care eye centers and the local ophthalmic care providers is required to enhance the understanding about uveal melanoma behavior in Arab population. (author)

[en] I am pleased to open this address by expressing my appreciation to you and to confirm the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's cooperation in attaining the goals sought by this high-level meeting. We thank our friends in the People's Republic of China for their excellent hosting of this important conference. We are all keen to shoulder the task deriving from our recognition of the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the development and well-being of humankind. We all understand the importance of making international efforts to develop all the possible technical aspects of the uses of nuclear energy so as to increase production efficiency, to optimize radioactive waste management and to enhance safety levels. All of this in order to face the growing demand for energy at the global level since, in this sphere, there are many States which are seriously seeking sources of energy and are focusing on nuclear energy. This includes my country, which is seriously considering the option of introducing nuclear energy among other sources of energy. We are all aware of the readiness of the Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in the framework of its programme activities and services, to respond to the requests for technical assistance expected from States embarking on the use of nuclear energy, to support their national plans to this end, and to ensure that the implementation of the planned national programmes is in line with international safety and security levels. Also, we recognize the leading role of this Agency in the development of all the technical and legal aspects of the applications of nuclear energy, thus emphasizing the need for full support of these aspects. We underline the important role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and of the comprehensive safeguards agreement in connection with it, and the need to work towards its universalization, to increase the number of geographical regions free from nuclear weapons - of which the most important is perhaps the Middle East - so as to achieve international security and peace, and to strengthening the exploitation of technology for the welfare of humankind. Allow me to conclude this address by expressing the sincere hope that our Conference can make a fitting contribution in helping States and the International Atomic Energy Agency to expand the safe and secure use of atomic energy, and therefore to boost the momentum of its contribution to electricity generation, water desalination, health and welfare at the global level, and elimination of nuclear weapons and prevention of their proliferation in the world. Thank you.

[en] Demirjian's dental maturity scores and curves have been widely used for human age determination. Several authors have reported considerable differences between the true and estimated age based on the Demirjian curves, which have been accounted for by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of ethnicity-specific dental maturation curves in age estimation of Saudi children. A sample of 452 healthy Saudi children aged 4 to 14 years were aged based on the original French-Canadian Demirjian curves and several modified Demirjian curves specified for certain ethnic groups: Saudi, Kuwaiti, Polish, Dutch, Pakistani, and Belgian. One-way ANOVA and a post hoc Scheffe's test were used to assess the differences between chronological age and dental age estimated by the different curves (P<0.05). The curves designed for Dutch, Polish, Saudi, and Belgian (5th percentile) populations had a significantly lower error in estimating age than the original French-Canadian and Belgian (50th percentile) curves. The optimal curve for males was the Saudi one, with a mean absolute difference between estimated age and chronological age of 8.6 months. For females, the optimal curve was the Polish one, with a mean absolute difference of 7.4 months. It was revealed that accurate age determination was not related to certain ethnicity-specific curves. We conclude that ethnicity might play a role in age determination, but not a principal one.

[en] Indoor radon levels and the annual effective dose are measured in Al-kharj city, Saudi Arabia dwellings using CR-39 detector. The dwellings are classified according their types (schools, homes and working area). The influence of some factors like number of floors and ventilation conditions on indoor radon levels, equilibrium factor and radon effective doses were studied. Can and bare method is used for determine the equilibrium factor between radon and its daughters. Based on the dosemetric approach and epidemiological determinations conversions convention for radon exposures, the annual effective doses are calculated and compared. The average radon concentration varies from 76 ± 38 Bq m^-3 in work places to 114 ± 41 Bq m^-3 in homes. About 77% of the studied dwellings give radon concentration in the range from 50 to 150 Bq m^-3 . The overall weighted mean of radon level is equal to 94 ± 41 Bq m^-3 which about 2.5 times the global average. The equilibrium factor has a wide range from 0.1 to 0.6 with overall weighted average equal to 0.308 ± 0.13. The variety of living style, constructed materials and ventilation rates are responsible for this wide range and subsequently the obtained high uncertainty (42%). Homes showed larger annual effective dose (3.186 ± 0.75 mSv) than other dwellings which locate in the range of the recommended action level but about three times the global average. The result shows that the ventilation condition is the major but not the only factor affects the results. Poor ventilated dwellings showed the maximum annual effective dose on the other hand the number of floor has insignificant difference

[en] This article attempts an assessment of the potential use of futures by the Middle East oil producers. It focuses on Saudi Arabia since the sheer size of Saudi Arabian sales poses problems, but the basic issues discussed are similar for the other Middle East producers. (Author)