Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East

SESAME
old logo of SESAME
SESAME, entrance to the main hall
Established16 May 2017
Research typeSynchrotron light
Budget$6 million
PresidentRolf Heuer (as of May 2017)
DirectorKhaled Toukan
Staff50
LocationAl Balqa, Jordan
Operating agency
Websitesesame.org.jo

The Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) is an independent laboratory located in Allan in the Balqa governorate of Jordan, created under the auspices of UNESCO on 30 May 2002.[1]

Aimed at promoting peace between Middle Eastern countries, Jordan was chosen as the location for the laboratory, as it was then the only country that maintained diplomatic relations with all the other founding members; Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, and Turkey. The idea, to create a joint Arab-Israeli scientific collaboration, goes back to the 1980s[2] and took a more concrete form in discussions at CERN in 1993.[3][4] The project was launched in 1999 and the ground breaking ceremony was held on 6 January 2003. Construction work began the following July, and the facility was finally inaugurated on 16 May 2017 under the patronage and presence of King Abdullah II.[5][4][3]

The construction of the project costed around $98 million, with $5 million donated each by Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and the European Union.[6][7] The rest was donated by CERN from existing equipment.[7] Jordan became the greatest contributor to the project by donating land and building construction costs, and by pledging to build a $7 million solar power plant, which will make SESAME the first accelerator in the world to be powered by renewable energy.[7] The annual operational cost of $6 million are pledged by the members according to the size of their economies.[7]

The facility is the only synchrotron radiation facility in the Middle East and is one of around 60 in the world.[5] As of May 2017, the president of the SESAME Council is Rolf Heuer. He was preceded by Christopher Llewellyn Smith (2008-2017) and Herwig Schopper (2004-2008).[8] All three were previously directors-general of CERN. Khaled Toukan, the chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, is the current director and former vice-president of SESAME.[9]

  1. ^ SESAME: an international centre for research and advanced technology under the auspices of UNESCO. Paris: UNESCO. 2008.
  2. ^ Salam, Abdus (1 September 1994), Dalafi, H R; Hassan, M H A (eds.), "New initiatives", Renaissance of sciences in islamic countries, World Scientific, pp. 181–204, doi:10.1142/9789814368414_0002, ISBN 978-9971-5-0946-0, retrieved 25 January 2023
  3. ^ a b "From dreams to beams: SESAME's 30 year-long journey in science diplomacy". CERN Courier. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b Schopper, Herwig (6 April 2017). "The light of SESAME: A dream becomes reality". La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento. 40 (4): 199–239. Bibcode:2017NCimR..40..199S. doi:10.1393/ncr/i2017-10134-8.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ a b "Landmark Jordanian science centre hopes to bring scientists from Iran, Israel and Palestinians together". The Independent. 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  6. ^ Rungius, Charlotte; Flink, Tim; Riedel, Sebastian (2022). "SESAME – a synchrotron light source in the Middle East: an international research infrastructure in the making". Open Research Europe. 1: 51. doi:10.12688/openreseurope.13362.2. PMC 10445914. PMID 37645168.
  7. ^ a b c d "SESAME: A New Accelerator of Science And Middle East Peace". World Crunch. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. ^ Schopper, Herwig; Gillies, James (2024), "Science for Peace with SESAME and SEEIIST", Herwig Schopper, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 215–240, doi:10.1007/978-3-031-51042-7_11, ISBN 978-3-031-51041-0, retrieved 3 March 2024
  9. ^ "Presidents/Vice-Presidents of Council". SESAME. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2017.