Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman recently announced the country’s plan to build its first nuclear power plant. Speaking at the 67th General Assembly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he noted that the move is part of Saudi’s National Atomic Energy Project.
Earlier in August, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Saudi is considering a Chinese bid to construct the said plant. In particular, the state-owned firm China National Nuclear Corporation proposed to build the plant near the border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
Other countries that submitted a bid include France and Russia.
In the Arab region, the UAE became the first country to have its own nuclear power plant. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, situated in Gharbiya, Abu Dhabi, began its operations in 2020. Once fully operation, it could supply 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity demand.
Saudi and the IAEA
Apart from unveiling plans for Saudi’s first nuclear power plant, Prince Abdulaziz also mentioned that Saudi is working closely with the IAEA. They are planning to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Through this partnership, the country hopes to activate a regional cooperation center. Its primary goal is to nurture human capabilities in terms of preparing for and responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Moreover, the energy minister expressed that the center can be used as an avenue to develop regulatory aspects of nuclear use at the national, regional, and global levels.
In a generous gesture, the minister also announced the country’s support for the IAEA’s “Rays of Hope” initiative, contributing $2.5 million. The project aims to save lives and address cancer burden by applying nuclear techniques. Apart from this, it also focuses on sustainability-centric projects that are geared toward strengthening legal frameworks and infrastructure for radiation safety.
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Emphasis on non-proliferation
Prince Abdulaziz also emphasized that the enforcement of the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) requires global concerted efforts.
NPT’s goal is to mitigate the risk of nuclear conflict by curbing the widespread proliferation of nuclear weapons. Additionally, it calls for the implementation of various safeguards. It first took effect in March 1970. Saudi joined the NPT in 1988 as a non-nuclear weapon state.
In addition, he stressed the critical importance of tackling nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. According to him, this necessitates the full implementation of Resolution No. 1995. The landmark resolution aims to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
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