Nuclear power in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has no fuel production facilities and would be reliant on nuclear fuel from the global market. In 2010, a deal was signed with Toshiba and Shaw to build reactors in Saudi Arabia, and with Exelon to manage the nuclear facilities. The group will either be using the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor or Westinghouse's AP1000.{{cite web|author=Dan Yurman|url=http://theenergycollective.com/ansorg/63481/saudi-arabia-s-nuclear-energy-ambitions|title=Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Energy Ambitions|publisher=The Energy Collective|date=23 August 2011|accessdate=29 November 2012|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083701/http://theenergycollective.com/ansorg/63481/saudi-arabia-s-nuclear-energy-ambitions|url-status=dead}}

In February 2011, Saudi Arabia signed its first nuclear accord with France, a leader in nuclear technology exports.World Nuclear Association. [http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-A-F/France/ Nuclear Power in France] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215072749/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-A-F/France/ |date=2015-12-15 }} (updated September 2013). Retrieved 18 November 2013. It is expected that Saudi Arabia will build a number of nuclear reactors in the near future with the aid of France to expand King Abdullah's Atomic and Renewable Energy City devoted to research and the peaceful application of nuclear energy.{{cite web| url = http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-arabia-france-sign-nuclear-energy-cooperation-deal-382366.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110224143407/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-arabia-france-sign-nuclear-energy-cooperation-deal-382366.html| archive-date = 2011-02-24| title = Saudi Arabia, France sign nuclear energy cooperation deal - Energy - ArabianBusiness.com}}Summer Said (Feb 2013). [https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703529004576160243401420796 Saudi Arabia, France Sign Nuclear-Energy Deal] The Wall Street Journal Business. Retrieved 18 November 2013.

In March 2015, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Saudi Arabia and South Korea. This could lead to the construction of at least two South Korean-designed SMART reactors in Saudi Arabia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/nn-saudi-arabia-teams-up-with-korea-on-smart-0403154.html|title = Saudi Arabia teams up with Korea on SMART - World Nuclear News}} SMART stands for System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor.{{Cite web | title=Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute | url=http://www.kaeri.re.kr:8080/english/sub/sub05_02.jsp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228215511/http://www.kaeri.re.kr:8080/english/sub/sub05_02.jsp | access-date=2025-05-30 | archive-date=2015-02-28}}

In 2017, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Geological Survey, where the two countries collaborated to identify prospective uranium deposits. Concluded by the end of 2019, the work by geologists identified that were capable of producing 90,000 tonnes of uranium. In September 2020, The Guardian reported on the basis of a confidential report prepared by CNNC and the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG) that Saudi Arabia had enough uranium ore reserves for domestic production of nuclear fuel. Some of the deposits were identified in the country’s northwestern region, where the city of Neom was being planned to be constructed. However, concerns regarding the Kingdom’s interest in an atomic weapons programme were intensifying, citing the lack of transparency of Saudi.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/17/revealed-saudi-arabia-may-have-enough-uranium-ore-to-produce-nuclear-fuel|title=Revealed: Saudi Arabia may have enough uranium ore to produce nuclear fuel|accessdate=17 September 2020|website=The Guardian|date=17 September 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-15/saudi-arabia-s-atomic-ambition-is-being-fueled-by-a-un-watchdog|title=Saudi Arabia's Atomic Ambition Is Being Fueled by a UN Watchdog|accessdate=15 September 2020|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=15 September 2020 }}

In April 2019, the IAEA confirmed that Saudi Arabia was likely to have a functioning nuclear reactor within a year, but had not agreed to IAEA inspections.{{cite web | last=Borger | first=Julian | title=Saudi Arabia's first nuclear reactor nearly finished, sparking fears over safeguards | website=the Guardian | date=2019-04-04 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/04/saudi-arabias-first-nuclear-reactor-nearly-finished-sparking-fears-over-safeguards | access-date=2019-04-08}}

In January 2023, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman said Saudi Arabia plans to use domestically-sourced uranium in its future nuclear power industry, including developing the full nuclear fuel cycle. He said "This would involve the entire nuclear fuel cycle which involves the production of yellowcake, low enriched uranium and the manufacturing of nuclear fuel both for our national use and, of course, for export."{{cite news |url=https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newssaudi-arabia-to-use-domestic-uranium-for-nuclear-development-10529986 |title=Saudi Arabia to use domestic uranium for nuclear development |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=19 January 2023 |access-date=19 January 2023}}

{{Portal|Saudi Arabia|Energy|Nuclear technology}}

• Nuclear program of Saudi Arabia
• IP3 International

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-o-s/saudi-arabia.aspx Nuclear Power in Saudi Arabia], World Nuclear Association

Category:Energy in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Category:Nuclear power in Asia by country

Category:Nuclear technology in Saudi Arabia