RIYADH: Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told a virtual conference in Riyadh on Wednesday that the organization was working with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt to help them develop the infrastructure for a nuclear power program.

“What’s special about nuclear is that it is proven, scalable and available,” said Grossi.

Grossi said that major producers of oil and gas were recognizing the benefit of atomic energy, and that the Middle East region would use more nuclear power in the future to meet energy needs.

Nuclear energy, he said, is now and will be an important tool to address the climate change in mitigation and in adaptation. “Many countries in this region are considering nuclear power even the major producers of oil and gas are recognizing the benefit of atomic energy,” said Grossi.

The IAEA is working with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to develop an infrastructure for a safe, secure and sustainable nuclear power program, he added.

Saudi Arabia has vast reserves of uranium ore that it plans to use to use to develop a nuclear power program, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi energy minister, told the Future Minerals Summit in Riyadh on Jan. 12.

The prince said: “Let me be very specific about it, we do have a huge amount of uranium resources that we would like to exploit and we will be doing it most transparently, we will be bringing in partners … we are very open to every opportunity that comes our way.”