KSA is all in on nuclear with tougher IAEA checks: Saudi Arabia is planning to set up its first nuclear power plant under a bid to advance its nascent nuclear program under monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the country’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud said in remarks (pdf) during the IAEA's annual General Conference in Vienna.

All for peaceful uses: The Saudi official said his country is working “to develop peaceful uses for nuclear energy across various fields through close cooperation” with the IAEA. These include the Saudi National Atomic Energy projects and its components, including building the country’s first nuclear energy power plant to meet sustainable development requirements outlined in its Vision 2030, he said.

And welcoming tougher IAEA checks: Saudi Arabia will allow international inspectors wider oversight of its nuclear activities through broader monitoring guidelines with the IAEA, according to the minister. Riyadh is also working closely with the IAEA “to leverage its expertise and the advisory services it provides in the field of implementing safeguards to develop the national infrastructure and human capabilities required to support this transition,” he added.

Wider monitoring to keep the haters away: Wider access by international inspectors to the kingdom’s nuclear activities would help abate worries by non-proliferation analysts who have expressed concern over the Gulf country’s plans without tougher IAEA checks. The worries come amid threats by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that his country would develop nuclear weapons if rival Iran does.

And that’s not all: The Saudi minister signed the Junior Professionals Program Agreement with the IAEA’s Director General Rafael Gross, according to Asharq Al Awsat. The agreement should pave the way to train and develop human resources in several fields related to the IAEA’s technical aspects and beyond, according to the media outlet.

REMEMBER- The Chinese want in: Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a Chinese offer to build a two-reactor 2.8 GW nuclear power plant in the country. The move is believed to be an attempt by Riyadh to pressure the Biden administration to ease its conditions for assisting the Gulf country in its nuclear energy ambitions. The talks are part of a plan by Saudi Arabia to award a contract for the facility by the end of the year and a longer term plan to build 16 reactors at an estimated cost of USD 80 bn to USD 100 bn by 2030.