Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) takes part in a working session with the US president (not pictured) at the Al Salam Royal Palace in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, on July 15, 2022.
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Saudi Arabia announced its commitment to building a nuclear energy program, as well as a pledge to allow greater oversight for atomic energy inspectors, at a time when the kingdom is pushing ahead with its drive to become a more powerful player on the international stage.
The Saudi energy minister said his country would move to much more robust safeguards and checks from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, than it had previously. Under the agency’s Small Quantities Protocol (SQP), the IAEA exempts countries with little or no nuclear material from many inspections and transparency requirements.
“The kingdom has recently taken the decision to rescind its Small Quantities Protocol and to move to the implementation of a full-scope Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement,” Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud said during the annual conference of the IAEA in Vienna on Monday.
“The kingdom is committed through its policy on atomic energy to the highest standards of transparency and reliability,” he said.
The watchdog agency had been pushing the kingdom and other countries with SQPs to switch to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) for years – IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called them a “weakness” amid global non-proliferation efforts.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrives for a meeting of the Board of Governors at IAEA headquarters on September 11, 2023 in Vienna, Austria.
Thomas Kronsteiner | Getty Images
In a post on social media platform X, Grossi wrote: “We signed an agreement for #SaudiArabia to provide the @IAEAorg with junior professional officers, marking a significant step in nuclear expertise and cooperation,” and thanked the kingdom for its support.
The announcement put the spotlight on the kingdom’s nascent nuclear energy efforts — Saudi Arabia has a small nuclear reactor, a research unit set up with the help of Argentina, that it has not yet put into operation. Moving to the CSA will enable the kingdom to access fissile material and start running the reactor, which would make it the second Arab country in the world with a nuclear energy program after the United Arab Emirates.
“I look forward to receiving Saud Arabia’s formal communication about its decision,” Grossi said late Monday. “The IAEA stands ready to provide support in this regard.”
The Saudi energy minister did not comment on whether his country would also join the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which requires more thorough oversight including snap inspections.
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