Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, speaks during the fourth annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 27, 2021. Reuters
Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, speaks during the fourth annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 27, 2021. Reuters
Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, speaks during the fourth annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 27, 2021. Reuters
Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, speaks during the fourth annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 27, 2021. Reuters

Gulf

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia warns against unchecked nuclear proliferation

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman spoke at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency

The National

September 21, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia has stressed its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation at a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Monday.

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom shared the concerns of the international community that Iran’s nuclear research activities lacked transparency.

He said Saudi Arabia was concerned by the potential for nuclear weapons to be developed within the region and would continue to support the peaceful application of nuclear research and technology.

Saudi Arabia remained committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, a 1968 international agreement designed to limit the spread of nuclear weapons of mass destruction, he said.

Since its inception, the treaty has been the bedrock of a global effort to slow the nuclear arms race and prioritise civilian nuclear research.

Last year, former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif threatened that Iran could withdraw from the treaty, which it signed prior to the 1979 revolution which overthrew the Shah of Iran.

"If the Europeans continue their improper behaviour or send Iran's file to the Security Council, we will withdraw from the NPT," Mr Zarif warned.

Russian contractors work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor site in 2007. The plant opened four years later. Bloomberg
Russian contractors work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor site in 2007. The plant opened four years later. Bloomberg
An Iranian technician at the International Atomic Energy Agency inspects the country's Isfahan plant in 2007. Tehran is no longer co-operating with the agency at nuclear sites across the country. EPA
An Iranian technician at the International Atomic Energy Agency inspects the country's Isfahan plant in 2007. Tehran is no longer co-operating with the agency at nuclear sites across the country. EPA
Workers wait to begin constructing a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2019. AFP
Workers wait to begin constructing a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2019. AFP
A metal-encased rod with 20 per cent enriched nuclear fuel is inserted into a reactor in Tehran in 2012. AFP
A metal-encased rod with 20 per cent enriched nuclear fuel is inserted into a reactor in Tehran in 2012. AFP
Fomer Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi speak at the Bushehr nuclear site in 2015. AFP
Fomer Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi speak at the Bushehr nuclear site in 2015. AFP
Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant has been restarted. EPA
Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant has been restarted. EPA
Mehdi Abrichamtchi, chairman of the Peace and Security Committee at the National Council of Resistance of Iran, shows journalists the location of a secret nuclear site in Iran in 2013. AFP
Mehdi Abrichamtchi, chairman of the Peace and Security Committee at the National Council of Resistance of Iran, shows journalists the location of a secret nuclear site in Iran in 2013. AFP
Workers prepare to begin the construction of a second reactor at the Bushehr site. AFP
Workers prepare to begin the construction of a second reactor at the Bushehr site. AFP

On Sunday, Prince Abdulaziz also met with Raphael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, where Mr Grossi said they discussed the kingdom’s “nuclear power program and the role of legal and regulatory frameworks to support it”.

Saudi Arabia and the IAEA have increased co-operation in recent years, although the kingdom has had a civilian nuclear research programme since the 1970s.

In March, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed non-proliferation with Mr Grossi, a conversation Mr Grossi said was positive.

The discussions followed a meeting in September where Mr Grossi praised the contribution of the kingdom to the IAEA, noting the organisation is working with the kingdom on a number of nuclear-related activities.

Mr Grossi said the kingdom is “interested in developing nuclear energy, for peaceful purposes of course”.

“We are working on providing (Saudi Arabia) with the necessary support,” he said.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Updated: September 21, 2021, 7:44 AM