Riyadh- Saudi Arabia and China are to cooperate on nuclear energy projects following discussions between the two countries this week on ways to support the Kingdom’s nuclear energy program as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, deputy prime minister and defense minister, on Thursday met with China’s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.

The two parties discussed the feasibility of the initial technical study of FEED to build the first two reactors in the Kingdom, the feasibility study of desalination using high-temperature, gas-cooled reactors in the Kingdom, the project of exploration and evaluation of the sources of uranium and thorium in the Kingdom, building human capacities in the peaceful uses of atomic energy and cooperation in the field of nuclear regulation and legislation using nuclear technology in support of the establishment of the Saudi Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

Hashim Yamani, president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), which is responsible for the country’s nuclear plans, met officials in China on August 23-24.

The meeting was within the agenda of the third meeting of the Saudi-China Joint Nuclear Committee to inform them of the components of the National Atomic Energy Project in the Kingdom and discuss ways of cooperation to support the components of the national project in many areas.

Their discussions included cooperation in areas such as pre-feasibility study to build the first two nuclear reactors in the Kingdom and exploration for uranium and thorium.

KACARE has also held meetings with suppliers of nuclear technology in the United States, Japan, China, South Korea and Russia. A delegation from KACARE also visited France end of July.

China is one of the leading suppliers of large-scale nuclear reactor technologies worldwide, and the Kingdom and China signed in 2012 a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the civilian use of nuclear energy.