ABU DHABI: Saudi Arabia plans to extract uranium domestically as part of its nuclear power program and sees this as a step toward “self-sufficiency” in producing atomic fuel, a senior official said on Monday.
Extracting its own uranium also makes sense from an economic point of view, said Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, head of the Saudi government agency tasked with the nuclear plans, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE).
The Kingdom says it wants to tap atomic power for peaceful purposes only in order to diversify its energy supply, and will award a construction contract for its first two nuclear reactors by the end of 2018.
“Regarding the production of uranium in the Kingdom, this is a program which is our first step toward self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel,” Yamani told a conference organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “We utilize the uranium ore that has been proven to be economically efficient.”
Atomic reactors need uranium enriched to around 5 percent purity, but the same technology in this process can also be used to enrich the heavy metal to higher, weapons-grade levels.
Saudi Arabia would be the second country in the Arab Gulf region to tap nuclear after the UAE, which is set to start up its first, South Korean-built reactor in 2018. The UAE has committed not to enrich uranium itself and not to reprocess spent fuel.
Industry sources have told Reuters Saudi Arabia is reaching out to potential vendors from South Korea, China, France, Russia, Japan and the US for its first two reactors.
The plans have received extra momentum as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an ambitious economic reform program launched last year by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Yamani said Saudi Arabia will soon pass laws for its nuclear program, and will have set up all of the regulations for its nuclear regulator by the third quarter of 2018.
“The IAEA also has been requested to conduct an integrated review of our nuclear infrastructure during the second quarter of 2018,” he said, which will allow the agency to assess efforts to prepare Saudi infrastructure “to introduce nuclear power for peaceful purposes.”
Saudi Arabia is considering building some 17.6 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors, making it one of the strongest prospects for an industry struggling after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan.
Preliminary studies have estimated Saudi Arabia has around 60,000 tons of uranium ore, Maher Al-Odan, the chief atomic energy officer of KACARE, said at an electricity forum in Riyadh on Oct 11.
Saudi Arabia to extract uranium for ‘self-sufficient’ nuclear program
Saudi Arabia to extract uranium for ‘self-sufficient’ nuclear program
Creative writing program to train gifted Saudi students
- The program, involving 182 students from across the Kingdom, takes place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, with an e-learning option for broader participation
RIYADH: The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission has launched the second Generation of Literature program to develop creative writing skills among gifted students.
The program, involving 182 students from across the Kingdom, takes place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, with an e-learning option for broader participation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In collaboration with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, the program aims to nurture literary talent, refine skills and provide hands-on training in writing.
Focused on middle school students, the program explores genres such as science fiction, detective stories, children’s stories, short stories and essays.
It enhances linguistic abilities like reading comprehension, language adaptation, metaphor interpretation and artistic imagery creation, the SPA reported.
The program also aims to improve research and investigation skills, including observation, comparison and analysis, while fostering problem-solving, critical thinking and self-confidence.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa hosts mobile robotics challenge
- The event brought together 40 talented young men and women from across the Kingdom
RIYADH: The Saudi Skills National Competition launched its mobile robotics challenge in Al-Ahsa on Tuesday, bringing together 40 talented young men and women from across the Kingdom.
The participants are from six leading educational institutions. The challenge is organized by the Technical and Vocational Training Corp.
Abdullah Al-Dahilan, senior competition secretary, said that the five-day event serves as a gateway to broader opportunities, with winners qualifying for Gulf, Asian and international championships, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Contestants are being evaluated by certified experts and judges from Saudi Arabia and Russia, the SPA reported.
Successful participants will represent the Kingdom in regional and international competitions in 2025 as part of the WorldSkills Competition framework.
“Our mission is to nurture local and national talents through programs that meet international standards,” Al-Dahilan said.
Similar competitions are taking place at technical colleges, institutes and schools across major cities including Riyadh, Makkah, Qassim, Jubail and Al-Ahsa.
The competitions cover various technical fields, from electrical installations and electronics to graphic design, web design, mobile robotics, fashion design and welding.
Under the guidance of 16 trainers, participants will complete 50 hours of intensive training during the competition.
The event will end with an awards ceremony recognizing three winners in both junior and youth categories.
JIAT finds coalition hit Houthi vehicle in Yemen in 2018
- Joint Incidents Assessment Team said one guided bomb hit a legitimate military target
- Investigation came after allegations the vehicle contained civilians and firewood
RIYADH: The Joint Incidents Assessment Team released a statement on Wednesday regarding a claim that the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen targeted a vehicle in the Sanaa governorate in 2018.
The JIAT investigation found that coalition forces did not target a vehicle carrying five people from two families and a firewood load in the Sanaa governorate on March 21, 2018, as claimed.
However, the JIAT, which was set up in May 2016 to assess Saudi military activity in Yemen, found that the air forces targeted a vehicle belonging to the Houthi militia in the Musawarah area in Nihm district, 40 km east of the capital.
The JIAT stated that the air forces targeted the Houthi vehicle 620 meters away from the coordinates mentioned in the claim regarding the civilian vehicle.
It added the legitimate Yemeni government’s ground forces requested air support to target a Houthi vehicle in Musawarah during armed clashes.
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen’s air forces then launched an airstrike and used one guided bomb to hit the Houthi target, the JIAT added.
The investigation assessed documents related to the operation, including air mission orders and reports, video recordings, and satellite images.
It also reviewed the coalition’s rules of engagement in light of international humanitarian law, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Based on video recordings of the strike, the JIAT found that the Houthi vehicle was on the road in the Nihm district that connects Marib and Sanaa, the SPA reported.
The JIAT added that the road was free of civilians and other vehicles, and there were no buildings around the military target; neither personnel nor firewood load were seen onboard the vehicle, the SPA added.
Education minister opens Saudi Arabia’s first technical high school for gifted boys
- Students will engage in advanced technical projects, research and specialized training programs
RIYADH: Saudi Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan inaugurated the Technological High School for Gifted Boys at Tuwaiq Academy in Riyadh, the first government school in the Kingdom specializing in technology.
The event was attended by Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha, Tuwaiq Academy Chairman Faisal Al-Khamisi, and other educational and technical leaders.
The school follows a pioneering global model aimed at developing the technological skills and capabilities of students, empowering them to build and innovate groundbreaking projects.
It also focuses on learning and scientific research, preparing students for local and international technological specializations.
By keeping pace with future advancements, the school enhances the Kingdom’s technological education standards. Students from the school will also represent Saudi Arabia in regional and international competitions and exhibitions.
“Technology has become fundamental to daily life and is an essential tool for navigating the future,” said Naif bin Abed Al-Zari, Riyadh’s education director, highlighting the Ministry of Education’s partnership with Tuwaiq Academy.
Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi, CEO of Tuwaiq Academy, called the partnership a cornerstone for advancing technical education.
The new educational establishment focuses on nurturing future talent through an immersive, application-based curriculum complemented by global certifications in specialized programs.
Al-Hammadi said that students at the school have earned more than 120 professional certifications from major global companies in the first semester of operations alone.
During their visit, the two ministers toured the technical school and academy facilities, observing programs, bootcamps and activities while interacting with students to assess the learning environment.
The school offers specialized programs in programming, cybersecurity, digital manufacturing, data science and other fields.
It will prepare students for major competitions like the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Competition and Exhibition, and the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, showcasing Saudi talent in a range of technical fields.
Saudi Arabia expresses condolences to Azerbaijan after deadly plane crash
- Kingdom extends sympathies to victims’ families
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in a plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday.
The Kingdom also extended its sympathies to the government and people of Azerbaijan, wishing a swift recovery to the injured, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
On Wednesday morning, a passenger plane traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near Aktau, western Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board.
Later, Kazakh authorities announced that 28 people had survived and that Azerbaijan Airlines had operated the plane.
Unverified video footage circulating on social media platforms appeared to show the plane bursting into flames as it struck the ground, with thick black smoke rising afterward.
