Saudi Arabia and China to advance nuclear cooperation

Barely a week after a deal on cooperation with the US, Saudi Arabia and China have agreed to work more closely on nuclear energy development, China’s state-run Global Times reported.

The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding at a China-Gulf Cooperation Council forum on nuclear technology in Chengdu on Monday.

The agreement comes after US energy secretary Chris Wright said the US and Saudi Arabia – the world’s second-largest oil producer – are on a “pathway” towards co-developing a civilian nuclear programme for the kingdom. 

The forum was hosted by the China Atomic Energy Authority and was attended by officials from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Oman, the newspaper said.

The pact allows nuclear regulators of China and Saudi Arabia to cooperate on nuclear safety, security, non-proliferation and emergency response. 

During the first China-GCC summit in Riyadh in December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to work with the GCC in some priority areas, including energy, over the next three to five years.

China has signed an agreement with the UAE on peaceful nuclear cooperation. It has already worked with Saudi Arabia in uranium-thorium resource exploration, according to the Global Times.

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“Nuclear cooperation is a key pillar of our partnership,” GCC secretary general Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi told the newspaper.

He said the GCC wants to benefit China’s advanced experience in nuclear safety, regulation and technology to improve energy security and support sustainable development.