The Middle East’s synchrotron is open Sesame
How difficult is it to build a world-class research facility in the Middle East? Kit Chapman investigates
The Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (Sesame) synchrotron opened in 2017 and it has two beamlines currently in operation (one x-ray, one infrared), with space for seven more. But the real wonder is the unusual bedfellows it has bought together: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, Turkey – and Israel. The need for a synchrotron was clear to politicians from the outset. All countries in the Middle East had seen a brain drain, as skilled workers migrated to regions where facilities were already in place. Some countries, such as Iran, couldn’t access existing facilities in the US due to trade sanctions against them. And, scientifically, there were also experiments that couldn’t be done elsewhere.
The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (BSLL) has given similar benefits to its host country, and efforts are underway to build a synchrotron in Africa – but it could be more than a decade away.