Riyadh - Mubasher: Saudi Arabia is planning to extract uranium domestically as part of its nuclear power programme, as reported by Reuters on Monday.

The move is seen as a step towards self-sufficiency in producing atomic fuel, according to the head of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE).

Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani added on the sidelines of the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century, which is held in Abu Dhabi, that the production of uranium in Saudi Arabia is a programme that is the first step towards self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel.

“We utilize the uranium ore that has been proven to be economically efficient,” Reuters quoted Yamani’s remarks to reporters.

According to Reuters, the official did not indicate whether the Kingdom will also seek to enrich and reprocess uranium.

Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani noted that laws will soon be introduced for the nuclear programme, with the needed regulatory framework set to be completed by the third quarter of 2018, adding that a request has been made to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct an integrated review of the Saudi nuclear infrastructure in Q2-18.

Saudi Arabia is reaching out to potential vendors from South Korea, China, France, Russia, Japan and the United States for its first two reactors, industry sources have told the news agency.

The chief atomic energy officer of KACARE, Maher Al Odan previously said that the kingdom has around 60,000 tonnes of uranium ore, as estimated by preliminary studies.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to generate around 17.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors, Reuters added.

The plan comes in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, and the economic reform plans that aim at diversifying the Saudi economy, and reduce dependency on oil imports.

The Emirati minister of energy, Suhail Al Mazrouei recently announced that the UAE will operate its first nuclear reactor by 2018.

More than 96% of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, which will contain four nuclear reactors and will supply up to 25% of the country’s electricity needs, has been completed.