Saudi Arabia turning Nuclear for energy source diversification or an arms race?

The largest oil exporter (Saudi Arabia) plans to build at least 16 nuclear reactors over the next 25 years at a cost of more than $80 billion.
The Saudis see this move as a a way to reduce its dependency from its finite fossile fuels energy reserves.
However, they have competition from its rival Iran, which has already several nuclear energy facilities.
Whatever the real motivation is, this could, eventually, turn out quite bad, increasing the possibility of an arms race in the middle east, an already unstable region.

[Photo from Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/fr/radioactifs-graphique-2056863/

Peace in the middle east

Danger explained:
Nuclear reactors are fueled by enriched uranium, which can also be used to build nuclear weapons.
Interestingly, Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince has already said that they do not seek to have any nuclear weapons, however, if Iran develops one, what he change his mind?

How about other countries in the region? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt are also planning to build nuclear power plants in the next years.
However, no Arab country is known for having any nuclear weapon, as of date. At the same time, Israel is estimated to have enough material for holding between 100 and 170 atomic weapons. Even though Israel never aknowledged having any.

Photo from Pixabay

This is the beginning of something ugly in my opinion. The "clean" energy power rationale is doubtful in my mind, and understandably, countries with nuclear weapons are somewhat more powerful, or I would says: influential on the World's scene. Is that the real rationale of such planned projects?

Bests

Source:

• world-nuclear.org
• The Atlantic

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