Saudi Arabia Implements Stricter IAEA Oversight for Nuclear Program
Saudi Arabia has announced that it will end light-touch oversight of its nuclear activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and transition to full-blown safeguards, a change that the agency has been requesting for years. The country, which has a nascent nuclear program, aims to expand it to include proliferation-sensitive uranium enrichment. The decision to rescind the Small Quantities Protocol (SQP) and implement a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) was revealed by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman at the IAEA's annual General Conference. It remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia will also sign up for the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which allows for more extensive inspections.