Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman highlights uranium resources, critical minerals and international partnerships at IAEA General Conference
VIENNA: Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, transparency and international cooperation, while outlining ambitious plans to develop its uranium resources and build an integrated value chain for critical and strategic minerals.
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’s statement at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.
The conference is being attended by representatives of IAEA member states, international organizations and institutions concerned with nuclear energy.
At the outset of his address, Prince Abdulaziz reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’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 70th session of the General Conference.
The minister said the global energy landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, with energy demand increasing as a result of 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 said.
Prince Abdulaziz noted that Saudi Arabia has established itself over the decades as a reliable energy supplier and an active partner in maintaining the stability of global energy markets.
At the same time, he said, the Kingdom is developing a more diversified and sustainable national energy mix based on integrated economic and development considerations, including the introduction of nuclear energy within a robust regulatory framework and in accordance with its international obligations.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive and diverse natural resources, saying the Kingdom is seeking to transform these resources into sustainable economic and industrial value that benefits both its people and its economy.
Among the resources he identified were phosphate ores, gold, copper, zinc, silver, bauxite, magnesium, iron ore, lead, nickel, rare-earth minerals, transition metals, uranium, silica and gypsum.
He said Saudi Arabia is working to maximize the value of these resources and strengthen the resilience of global supply chains for critical and strategic minerals.
Prince Abdulaziz said the National Atomic Energy Project is advancing a programme to explore uranium resources and assess opportunities for their economic utilization through several interconnected tracks.
One of these tracks involves recovering uranium associated with phosphoric acid produced through phosphate fertilizer operations in northern Saudi Arabia, taking into account the Kingdom’s position as the world’s second-largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers.
He said pilot work conducted in cooperation with French company Orano had produced promising economic indicators for uranium recovery from these operations.
The cooperation culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding during the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to France in August, he added.
Prince Abdulaziz also highlighted exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project in the Madinah Region.
According to the minister, the project has 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.
He described the project as one of the most significant rare-earth resource sites currently under development globally.
The minister linked this effort to the framework for cooperation on critical minerals and securing supply chains signed between Saudi Arabia and the United States during the Crown Prince’s visit to the US in November 2025.
He said the cooperation was followed by a partnership between Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) and US-based MP Materials to develop capabilities for processing and separating rare-earth elements and producing associated uranium.
Saudi Arabia is also continuing exploration for additional uranium ores from conventional sources through its Sedimentary Cover Survey Initiative, Prince Abdulaziz said.
He stressed that the Kingdom’s mineral potential is reinforced by its competitive energy supplies, advanced infrastructure, growing industrial and investment capabilities, strategic geographical position and expanding international partnerships.
The minister said Saudi Arabia’s ambitions extend beyond the extraction of raw materials or the export of mineral concentrates.
The Kingdom, he explained, aims to establish integrated economic and industrial value chains covering exploration and mining, processing, separation and refining, production of rare-earth oxides, recovery and purification of associated uranium, and production of yellowcake and its subsequent value chain, subject to economic feasibility.
He emphasized that these activities would be pursued with transparency and in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s international obligations.
Prince Abdulaziz noted that countries have different resource bases, capabilities, economic circumstances and national priorities, making it inappropriate to assess their nuclear and mineral-development choices through a single model.
He said Saudi Arabia’s combination of mineral resources, industrial capabilities, infrastructure, energy advantages and international partnerships provides a strong economic and industrial foundation for moving beyond resource extraction towards integrated domestic value chains.
He added that developing these value chains is a direct extension of the Kingdom’s economic and industrial development and is supported by investments, partnerships and projects being implemented on the ground.
The energy minister stressed that Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of peaceful nuclear energy is accompanied by the highest levels of responsibility and transparency.
He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s inherent right, as a state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.
Prince Abdulaziz said Saudi Arabia’s approach is based on transparency, openness and international cooperation.
“The Kingdom 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,” he said.
Instead, he said, Saudi Arabia is developing its capabilities through trusted international partnerships designed to strengthen confidence and support the international nuclear non-proliferation system.
Prince Abdulaziz cited Saudi Arabia’s partnership with the United States as an example of this approach.
He said bilateral cooperation covers critical minerals, supply-chain security and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
He noted that the partnership reached an important milestone in July with the signing of an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, commonly known as the “123 Agreement.”
The minister further affirmed that, within the framework of Saudi Arabia’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 as part of their bilateral cooperation.
He said these arrangements reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening the partnership and reinforcing confidence in its peaceful nuclear programme.
Implementation of the special safeguards arrangements will be subject to IAEA oversight within the agency’s established framework and in accordance with the role of its Board of Governors, he added.
Concluding his address, Prince Abdulaziz affirmed that Saudi Arabia will continue strengthening its national framework and regulatory ecosystem governing nuclear energy and its applications.
He stressed that confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear technology depends on strong national institutions, effective regulatory frameworks and the development of national technical capabilities.
The Kingdom is also continuing efforts to enhance preparedness for nuclear and radiological emergencies, strengthen the culture of nuclear safety and security, and expand technical cooperation with the IAEA and international partners.
Prince Abdulaziz reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s full support for the IAEA and its commitment to constructive cooperation with the agency and its member states.
He said the Kingdom’s efforts are aimed at strengthening international confidence in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and contributing to a more secure, sustainable and prosperous future for all.
