With help from China, Saudi Arabia has constructed a facility that would extract uranium yellowcake from uranium ore. The agreement suggests the strengthening of the oil-rich country's attempts to harness nuclear technology, said Western officials who had knowledge of the region.
Growing nuclear capabilities
According to the Wall Street Journal, the facility has not yet been disclosed to the public. It is found in a remote and sparsely populated region in the northwestern parts of Saudi Arabia.
It has also raised the alarm within the United States government where officials worry the country's budding nuclear program is steadily growing and that Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is thinking of further developing nuclear weapons.
Despite the country still, far away from being capable of using nuclear weapons, the facility's exposure raises the concern within the US Congress where lawmakers are alarmed by Saudi Arabia's plans for its nuclear energy.
US officials are also worried about the country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's statement in 2018, where he said if Iran were going to build a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia, at the soonest possible time, would follow suit.
The events could also cause anxiety within Israel as officials have been keeping a wary eye on Saudi Arabia's nuclear status.
In a statement, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said it denied the allegations that it built a uranium ore facility in the region. Officials added that extracting minerals, including uranium, was a crucial part of the country's economic diversification strategy.
The statement also said that the kingdom had accepted Chinese aid to locate uranium in some parts of the country. A spokesman refused to comment on the announcement of the ministry.
Previously, Saudi Arabia had also constructed a research reactor at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
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Developing its nuclear powers
The kingdom had repeatedly stated that its nuclear efforts were an attempt to expand its civilian energy projects, as reported by Aljazeera.
A Cold War between Saudi Arabia and Iran is not far from the realm of possibility. Growing concerns over several nuclearizations in the Arab peninsula are developing, which could lead to rising tensions between the Gulf and the Middle East.
Since 2006, Saudi Arabia has been attempting to expand its capabilities when it started to explore nuclear power options as part of the joint program with several other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Recently, Saudi's crown prince included the kingdom's nuclear plans in his "Vision 2030" blueprint, which aims to diversify the country's economy from just supplying oil.
Saudi Arabia argues that nuclear energy would allow it to generate more income for state coffers. At the same time, develop a high tech industry to give more job opportunities for its citizens.
However, some experts argue that if the country is looking for a sustainable and abundant energy source, nuclear power pales in comparison to other, more accessible sources such as solar and wind.
