IAEA admits to helping Saudi, Egypt develop nuclear capabilities

The Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has admitted to helping Saudi Arabia and Egypt develop their nuclear capabilities, in what is the first admission of such assistance being given to the two governments.

According to the news agency Reuters, the Head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, revealed the assistance yesterday, while speaking at a conference in Saudi Arabia.

His comments came a month after Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman hinted at international help, telling the Future Minerals Summit in Riyadh that “we do have a huge amount of uranium resources that we would like to exploit and we will be doing it in the most transparent way; we will be bringing in partners.”

It was earlier thought that those partners consisted of only the likes of China – which has assisted Saudi Arabia in constructing a uranium ore facility almost two years ago – and other allies with knowledge on the development of nuclear capabilities.

Saudi ballistic missile program: US-China rivalry in Gulf

There was some indication of the IAEA’s involvement, however, with Grossi and the Egyptian President having met in December to discuss enhancing cooperation in the field of nuclear security.

The assistance of the IAEA gives more international legitimacy to Riyadh’s and Cairo’s efforts to develop such capabilities. That is, despite concerns over the issue from Israel and some sectors of the US government, with American senators having sought full details of contracts for nuclear cooperation with the Kingdom, and with Israeli researchers recommending ways to keep the nuclear development peaceful.

Saudi Arabia has maintained that its efforts to develop nuclear capabilities are for peaceful purposes, insisting that the extraction of uranium ore is a key factor of its strategy to diversify its economy and use towards civil purposes.

Why have the nuclear negotiations with Iran stalled?