Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of about 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing ore in the Madinah region, marking a major step in the Kingdom’s efforts to expand its nuclear energy resources.
The announcement was made by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna on September 14, according to Saudi state television and Reuters.
The figure refers to raw material containing uranium concentrations, rather than 110 million tonnes of pure uranium. The amount and quality of uranium that could eventually be recovered will depend on further assessment and mining work.
Saudi Arabia is developing plans for a domestic nuclear energy industry. The Kingdom has previously said it wants to use its own uranium resources as part of a complete nuclear fuel cycle, including producing uranium fuel for domestic use and potentially for export.
The development also comes shortly after Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. The deal could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium for civilian purposes and develop nuclear reactors with US technology.
