Saudi Arabia to Produce “Yellowcake”: Announcement on Enriching and Selling Uranium

Saudi Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced on Monday that the kingdom intends to “achieve financial profits from all minerals” including the enrichment and sale of uranium and the production of what is known as “yellowcake.”

The “yellowcake” referred to by the minister during his speech at a conference in Dhahran is a concentrated powder of uranium that is free from impurities used in producing uranium fuel for nuclear reactors, according to Reuters.

This material requires safe processing but it poses only minimal radiological risks. Saudi Arabia has an emerging nuclear program that it wishes to expand to ultimately include uranium enrichment, a contentious issue since it is fundamental to the production of nuclear weapons.

Riyadh has stated that it aims to use nuclear energy to diversify its energy mix.

The kingdom has not set a limit on its nuclear ambitions as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated in 2018 that Saudi Arabia would develop nuclear weapons if Iran did so.

Last year, Saudi Arabia announced plans to lift the limited oversight system on its nuclear facilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and move to full implementation of the safeguards agreement by the end of 2024.

Saudi Arabia has yet to operate its first nuclear reactor which allows its program to remain under monitoring only according to the Small Quantities Protocol, an agreement with the IAEA that exempts less advanced countries in the nuclear sector from many reporting and inspection obligations.