Mohammed bin Salman Inaugurates Saudi Arabia's First Nuclear Research Reactor Project

Saudi Arabia's state news agency reports that the Saudi Crown Prince has inaugurated the construction project for the country's first nuclear research reactor. It was previously stated that Riyadh seeks to achieve 'nuclear parity with Iran.' The reactor that Saudi media has mentioned is the first of 16 reactors that Saudi Arabia plans to establish. The state news agency says the nuclear project is one of seven projects inaugurated by the Crown Prince during his visit to the 'King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology' in Riyadh. Reports about the establishment of nuclear centers date back several years. In September 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that Riyadh has an 'ambitious plan' to supply '15 percent of its electricity' through nuclear energy and aims to build a total of 16 nuclear reactors by 2030. However, it took two years for these reports to become official. In 2017, Saudi Arabia announced that as part of its nuclear plans, it intends to begin domestic uranium extraction. In November 2017, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry visited Saudi Arabia and stated that negotiations between the two countries regarding the 123 Agreement—allowing U.S. companies to participate in Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program—would begin soon. A month later, the Trump administration held a meeting to inform congressional aides about how to adhere to nuclear non-proliferation standards in a potential agreement with Saudi Arabia regarding the sale of nuclear reactors. International news agencies also reported that Saudi officials in their negotiations with Washington sought to obtain advanced capabilities in civilian nuclear energy; they argue that the nuclear agreement with Iran in July 2015 allowed Tehran to enrich uranium at a limited level. Although the United States was still part of the JCPOA at that time, Washington exited the agreement with Iran in the spring of this year. The establishment of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns in the West. However, these concerns are not limited to the West; late last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed 'deep concern' over nuclear negotiations between Washington and Riyadh during a meeting with the U.S. President and called for their cancellation. Saudi Arabia claims that its nuclear program pursues non-military objectives, yet late last year, Mohammed bin Salman threatened that if Iran builds a nuclear bomb, we will too. The Saudi government has not provided much explanation regarding this 'research reactor,' which is typically used not for electricity generation but for research or educational purposes.