Saudi Arabia to Grant IAEA Expanded Nuclear Oversight, Says Grossi
IAEA chief says Saudi Arabia is preparing enhanced nuclear verification measures, close to Additional Protocol standards, under its bilateral safeguards agreement.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has indicated that Saudi Arabia is preparing to accept significantly expanded nuclear oversight, though not the full Additional Protocol that grants the agency its most sweeping inspection powers.
Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, told reporters that while the Additional Protocol would be the ideal framework, the ongoing consultations have yielded provisions in the bilateral agreement that will provide the agency with additional verification and monitoring authorisations.
These enhanced powers would apply to sensitive activities including uranium enrichment, uranium conversion, and reprocessing—the process that separates plutonium from spent fuel. Grossi noted that the authorisations being negotiated are "very, very similar" to those found under an Additional Protocol.
The development follows the July agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia on civil nuclear cooperation, which permits Riyadh to enrich uranium and build reactors using American technology. That pact, known as a "123 agreement," has drawn criticism from non-proliferation groups for not mandating the Additional Protocol.
The Additional Protocol allows the IAEA to conduct snap inspections at undeclared sites. Iran implemented the protocol between 2016 and 2021 under the 2015 nuclear deal, which collapsed after the US withdrew in 2018.
Grossi said that once the details are finalised, the bilateral agreement between the IAEA and Saudi Arabia will be presented to the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors for consideration.