Energy Minister Delivers the Kingdom's Statement at 70th IAEA General Conference

Minister of Energy, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Chairman of the Board of Directors of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz delivered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's statement at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held in the Austrian capital, Vienna, with the participation of member states and a number of international organizations and entities concerned with the nuclear energy sector.
 At the outset of his statement, the minister reaffirmed the Kingdom's appreciation for the IAEA's pivotal role in supporting member states, advancing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and upholding the principles of nuclear safety, security and safeguards. He also congratulated the president on assuming the presidency of the seventieth session of the General Conference.
 The minister said: "Our meeting today comes at a time when the world is witnessing rapid growth in energy demand, driven by economic, technological and industrial expansion. Amid these developments, diversifying energy sources and enhancing their reliability and sustainability have become essential to supporting economic growth and ensuring security of supply."
 He affirmed that, over the decades, the Kingdom has established its position as a reliable energy supplier and an active partner in the stability of global energy markets. In parallel with this role, the Kingdom is moving forward with developing a national energy mix from different energy sources that is more diverse and sustainable, based on integrated economic and development considerations. This includes introducing nuclear energy into this mix, within a well-established regulatory framework and in accordance with the Kingdom's international obligations.
 Prince Abdulaziz reviewed the strengths and resources with which the Kingdom is endowed, including its vast and diverse natural resources and wealth, which it seeks to utilize in ways that promote development and prosperity and benefit both people and the economy. These include phosphate ores, gold, copper, zinc, silver, bauxite, magnesium, iron ore, lead, nickel, rare-earth minerals, transition metals, uranium, silica and gypsum.
 He added that the Kingdom is working to maximize the benefits derived from these resources and to transform them from natural resources into sustainable economic and industrial value, thereby strengthening the resilience of global supply chains for critical and strategic minerals.
 He said that the National Atomic Energy Project is advancing a programme to explore uranium resources and assess opportunities for their economic utilization through several interconnected tracks. The first involves recovering uranium associated with phosphoric acid produced in phosphate fertilizer operations in the north of the Kingdom, taking into account Saudi Arabia's position as the world's second-largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers.
 He noted that pilot work carried out in cooperation with the French company Orano has yielded promising economic indicators for uranium recovery from these operations. This cooperation culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding during the visit of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to France last August.
 The minister of energy said: "Exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah Region have identified estimated resources of approximately 114 million tons of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, alongside promising concentrations of uranium. This places the project among the most significant rare earth resource sites currently under development globally. This direction gained further momentum during the visit of HRH the Crown Prince to the United States of America in November 2025, when the two countries signed a framework for cooperation on critical minerals and securing supply chains. This was followed by a partnership between the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Ma'aden, and the American company MP Materials to develop capabilities for the processing and separation of rare earth elements and the production of associated uranium."
 He stated that the Kingdom continues its efforts, through the Sedimentary Cover Survey Initiative, to explore for additional uranium ores from conventional sources. He added that these resources take on particular significance when viewed in the context of the Kingdom's broader advantages. The Kingdom combines promising mineral resources, competitive energy supplies, advanced infrastructure, growing industrial and investment capabilities, a strategic location, and effective international partnerships.
 Prince Abdulaziz affirmed that the Kingdom's ambition does not stop at producing raw materials or exporting concentrates. It extends to building an integrated economic and industrial value chain for all these minerals, beginning with exploration and mining and progressing through processing, separation and refining; the production of rare earth oxides; the recovery and purification of associated uranium; and the production of yellowcake and the development of its value chain, subject to economic feasibility, in accordance with the highest standards of transparency and within the framework of the Kingdom's international obligations.
 He stated that these endowments vary from one country to another and that viewing the options available to all countries through a single model does not fully account for differences in their resources, capabilities, economic circumstances and national priorities. He noted that this is particularly important when drawing comparisons with other countries in the region that do not have the same resource base or the same level of associated industrial capabilities. In the Kingdom, the combination of these advantages provides a clear economic and industrial foundation for moving beyond resource extraction towards the development of integrated value chains that maximize their value domestically.
 He explained that developing this value chain is not an objective detached from the Kingdom's economic and industrial realities. Rather, it is a direct extension of them, supported by available resources, capabilities under development, and investments and partnerships that are being translated into tangible projects on the ground. This reflects the Kingdom's approach to maximizing the value of its national endowments and transforming them into sustainable economic and industrial value. It is also what distinguishes the Kingdom's model from others in the region, where resource bases, economic choices and national arrangements differ from one country to another.
 The energy minister stressed that the Kingdom's exercise of its choices regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy goes hand in hand with the highest levels of responsibility and transparency. This is consistent with the inherent right of States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.
 He noted that, in exercising these rights, the Kingdom follows a clear approach founded on transparency, openness and international cooperation. It does not seek to develop its peaceful nuclear programme in isolation from the international community, nor through activities conducted in secrecy or facilities concealed deep within mountains. Rather, the Kingdom is developing its capabilities through trusted international partnerships that strengthen confidence and support the nuclear non-proliferation ecosystem.
 The minister said: "In this context, the Kingdom's partnership with the friendly United States of America exemplifies this approach. Cooperation between the two countries spans critical minerals and supply chain security, as well as the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Last July, this cooperation marked an important milestone with the signing of an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, known as the '123 Agreement'."
 He affirmed that, within the framework of the Kingdom's obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and in line with its declared national policies and commitment to transparency, the Kingdom has established special voluntary safeguards arrangements with the United States in the context of bilateral cooperation. These arrangements reflect the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening this partnership and reinforcing its credibility.
 He added that the implementation of these special safeguards arrangements will be subject to oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency, within the agency's established framework and in accordance with the role of its Board of Governors in this regard.
 In conclusion, the minister affirmed that the Kingdom continues to strengthen its national framework and regulatory ecosystems governing nuclear energy and its applications, based on its conviction that confidence rests on strong national institutions, well-established regulatory frameworks and national capabilities. The Kingdom also continues to enhance its preparedness for nuclear and radiological emergencies, reinforce a culture of nuclear safety and security, and strengthen technical cooperation with the agency and international partners. He reaffirmed the Kingdom's full support for the International Atomic Energy Agency and its commitment to continuing constructive cooperation with the agency and its member states in a manner that strengthens international confidence and contributes to a more secure, sustainable and prosperous future for all.