Satellite imagery has revealed that Saudi Arabia has nearly completed building its first public nuclear reactor. This development has caused some concern among arms control experts, given that Saudi Arabia is not party to international regulations which ensure that nuclear energy programs are not used to build nuclear missiles. The Kingdom has plans to launch the facility in 2019, however nuclear fuel providers will not supply the reactor until the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has agreed to surveillance measures. This development comes nearly a year after Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said the Saudi Arabia would develop a nuclear bomb if its regional rival Iran did so first. Iran’s nuclear power plants are also under heavy scrutiny from the international community due to its past attempts at enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels.
