Saudi plans 16 reactors by 2030

Thursday, 2 June 2011 [Arab News, 1 June] Saudi Arabia plans to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years at a cost of more than 300 billion riyals ($80 billion), according to Abdul Ghani bin Melaibari, coordinator of scientific collaboration at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy. Speaking during the Gulf Environment Forum in Jeddah, he said, "After ten years we will have the first two reactors. After that, every year we will establish two, until we have 16 of them by 2030." Melaibari said that the reactors would generate about 20% of Saudi Arabia's electricity demand. He also noted that arrangements were being made to offer the project for international bidding. "We will consider expertise that we can benefit from," he said.