Energy Saudi Arabia and China to advance nuclear cooperation Barely a week after a deal on cooperation with the US, Saudi Arabia and China have agreed to work more closely on nuclear energy development, China’s state-run Global Times reported. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding at a China-Gulf Cooperation Council forum on nuclear technology in Chengdu on Monday. The agreement comes after […] April 22, 2025
Energy US and Saudi Arabia agree ‘pathway’ to nuclear power deal The US and Saudi Arabia – the world’s second-largest oil producer – are on a “pathway” towards co-developing a civilian nuclear programme for the kingdom, visiting US energy secretary Chris Wright has told reporters. This is the firmest US public statement yet of support for a Saudi nuclear power generating initiative, a topic of long-running […] April 14, 2025
Energy Oil’s share of energy demand dips below 30% for first time Oil’s share of the global energy mix has hit a historic low, dipping below 30 percent of demand for the first time as renewables and electric vehicles reshape markets, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2025 reveals that energy demand rose by 2.2 percent last year, outpacing the average yearly […] March 26, 2025
Opinion Renewable Energy Taxation can be a catalyst in the renewable energy revolution Saudi Arabia and the UAE can lead the transition if their fiscal policies align with their ambition March 4, 2025
Opinion Energy In Washington, the stars may align to help Riyadh’s nuclear ambitions Saudi Arabia’s path to nuclear power has been complicated. The Trump administration can ease the way January 22, 2025
Energy Sale of enriched uranium announced by Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia intends to export enriched uranium, the country’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said on Monday. The announcement is the latest indication of Saudi nuclear ambitions. Saudi Arabia has long expressed an interest in developing a nuclear power sector and has engaged in talks with the United States over nuclear cooperation, which were […] January 13, 2025
Analysis Energy Turkey closing in on nuclear energy aspirations Turkey’s first nuclear power plant reactor will come online in 2025, two years behind schedule, the country’s energy minister has confirmed. Three more will follow in the next three years as part of Turkey’s efforts to diversify energy production and reduce carbon emissions. The first reactor at the $20 billion Akkuyu nuclear power plant, in […] December 26, 2024
Energy Turkey’s first nuclear plant to start trial production in 2025 Turkey is to begin trial production at its first nuclear plant in 2025, energy and natural resources minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said. Ankara plans to load the first fuel in its more than 90 percent complete first reactor at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant next year, he said in a post on the social messaging […] December 16, 2024
Energy Turkey to commission first nuclear plant by 2028 Turkey is set to commission its first nuclear power plant by 2028, which is expected to meet 10 percent of its power needs. All four reactors will be fully commissioned simultaneously at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing energy and natural resources minister Alparslan Bayraktar. “We are at the largest nuclear […] September 9, 2024
Energy Saudi Arabia signs IAEA protocol as nuclear plans advance Saudi Arabia has inched closer to obtaining US help to develop a nuclear energy programme by signing a protocol that ensures the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has legal rights to operate inside the kingdom. However an agreement to the inspection of nuclear facilities by the Vienna-based supervisory body, including a protocol that would allow […] August 9, 2024
Analysis Energy Saudi Arabia’s nuclear plans stall while UAE pushes on The UAE is moving ahead with its second nuclear power plant, but plans for Saudi Arabia’s first facility remain bogged down in controversy and delay. The kingdom is attempting to win US approval to enrich its own uranium and use US technology. Saudi Arabia said last year it would allow inspections of future nuclear facilities, […] May 19, 2024
Energy Second nuclear power plant planned for UAE A second nuclear power plant is being planned by the UAE, which would double the current number of reactors in the country to eight. The plant will be tendered within a few months and construction could start later this year, to reach operational readiness in 2032, sources told Reuters. The UAE’s energy minister, Suhail Al […] May 2, 2024
Analysis Industry Uranium prices rise with demand for nuclear power Barakah in the UAE, Dabaa in Egypt, Bushehr in Iran and Akkuyu in Turkey. Nuclear energy is now seen by many countries as central to emissions reduction. It is little surprise then that demand for feedstock – mainly uranium – has been spiking. Prices for the mineral, which is critical to the production of nuclear power […] February 26, 2024
Energy Turkey to power first unit of Akkuyu nuclear plant Turkey’s nuclear regulator has approved a commissioning permit for the country’s first nuclear power-generating unit. The Akkuyu nuclear power plant is being constructed by Russia’s state-owned Rosatom in Mersin province on the southern Mediterranean coastline. The bid documentation for the permit was sent to the Council of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NDK) in two stages. […] December 13, 2023
Transport DP World and Rosatom to develop new shipping route Global ports operator DP World and Russian state nuclear company Rosatom have established a joint venture (JV) to develop transit container shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). International Container Logistics was registered in Moscow this month according to Russian news agency Interfax, citing data in the Unified State Registry of Legal Entities. Rosatom Cargo owns 51 […] October 25, 2023
Energy UAE to produce nuclear-powered pink hydrogen The UAE is investigating the production of pink hydrogen, which is generated through electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. “We are conducting studies to produce pink hydrogen by capitalising on the heat from our nuclear plants,” said Sharif Salim Al Olama, undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs in the energy and infrastructure ministry. The country already […] October 12, 2023
Video length: 07:09 Analysis Energy Riyadh adds safety valve to US and China nuclear quest Saudi Arabia is to allow inspections of future nuclear facilities, in an effort to persuade Washington to allow transfer of US reactor technology. The decision by Riyadh will appease Washington, but the Saudis are still courting China as a possible alternative option if US fears of nuclear proliferation prevent a deal. The Saudi government presented […] October 11, 2023
Opinion Energy A new nuclear age dawns – against all the odds Despite its bad press, emissions-free nuclear power can bridge the gap between fossil fuels and renewables August 28, 2023
Energy Israeli startup hopes to take nuclear fusion mainstream This week US scientists announced they had achieved net energy gain in a fusion reaction for the second time since December. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California deemed the successful experiment “a major scientific breakthrough decades in the making that will pave the way for advancements in national defence and the future of clean […] August 11, 2023
Analysis Trade Nuclear energy to power UAE-Romania trade growth Dubai International Chamber has set up a Romanian Business Council as part of efforts to build on non-oil trade between the UAE and the Eastern European nation, which exceeded $1 billion last year. The council will promote the interests of Romanian businesses and Romanian-owned UAE-registered companies in Dubai. It will also support Dubai’s presence in […] August 10, 2023
Renewable Energy France’s Engie ramps up Middle East renewables push French utilities firm Engie is closing in on several opportunities in the Middle East as it looks to the region to help it hit targets to double renewables generation to 80 gigawatts by 2030. “We are trying to identify the best geographies for renewables and clearly the Middle East is one of those,” said Frédéric Claux, […] August 7, 2023
Opinion Energy Inside the Gulf’s great energy balancing act The region must be mindful of cannibalising hydrocarbons too early August 2, 2023
