West Asia is burning in the flames of war. It is in this situation that America made a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia. Uranium enrichment has been approved by US President Donald Trump. Speculation is rife as to whether this will lead to fresh unrest in the coming days. However, another question arises. Why is the Arab country desperate to possess nuclear energy despite its endless reserves of oil?
It is good to say that as a result of the recent agreement, the two countries will work together to develop Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy program. Through this, Saudi Arabia will be able to build nuclear power plants and develop nuclear technology. Through this agreement, the country will also get the opportunity to enrich uranium.
The mainstay of the Saudi economy is oil. In 2022, 40 percent of the country’s total GDP was dependent on crude oil. However, the New York Times claims that the country wants to reduce its dependence on oil under the ‘Vision 2030’ plan.
However, the Saudi side has informed that this nuclear program will be conducted for civilian purposes. But what Prince Mohammed bin Salman said a few days ago should not be forgotten. He said that if neighboring Iran develops nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia will follow the same path. So, even if we talk about the apparently non-military purpose, it is certain that there is another purpose behind the scenes.
It should be remembered that oil is the mainstay of the Saudi economy. In 2022, 40 percent of the country’s total GDP was dependent on crude oil. However, the New York Times claims that the country wants to reduce its dependence on oil under the ‘Vision 2030’ plan. Because Saudi Arabia, despite having abundant oil and other natural resources, spends more than it earns almost every year. In the last 10 years, the country has faced budget deficit 9 times. Currently, Saudi Arabia uses a large amount of its own oil and natural gas to generate electricity. If they can store more oil for export through nuclear power, then selling it to other countries will make more money. And that’s why Saudi wants to get nuclear power. That is, not only the ‘confrontation’ of Iran, but also the ‘attraction’ of Saudi Arabia towards nuclear power to increase the power of the economy.
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