The Council of Ministers on May 9 announced Saudi Arabia’s plan to sign a cooperation agreement with South Korea for peaceful use of nuclear energy. Hashim Yamani, president of the King Abdullah City for Nuclear and Renewable Energy, has been authorised to sign the pact. The Cabinet had authorised Yamani to sign a similar agreement with China last month. The Kingdom signed its first ever nuclear treaty with France in February, paving the way for the Kingdom’s long-term plans to build power stations utilising alternative energy sources to produce electricity and water.
Saudi Arabia has decided to make use of alternative resources such as atomic, solar, geothermal and wind power to meet its growing energy requirements. Power demand in the Kingdom is forecast to increase by 8 per cent annually. Electricity demand is expected to triple by 2032, which will give rise to the need for energy plants with a capacity of 80 gigawatts.