Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced on 16 September 2024, that Saudi Arabia will switch from the Small Quantities Protocol to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement by December of this year. Reuters reported that Prince Abdulaziz spoke at the I.A.E.A.’s annual General Conference on behalf of Saudi Arabia. “The kingdom has recently taken the decision to rescind its Small Quantities Protocol and to move to the implementation of a full-scope Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement,” Prince Abdulaziz said.

The I.A.E.A. has encouraged countries including Saudi Arabia to strengthen their non-proliferation efforts and policies, for years. I.A.E.A. Chief Rafael Grossi posted on the social media Platform X after the conference, writing, “Saudi Arabia’s decision to rescind its Small Quantities Protocol increases (the IAEA)’s ability to verify the peaceful use of nuclear material in the country.”

The I.A.E.A.’s S.Q.P. allows developing states, specifically countries with little or no nuclear material, to be exempt from many standard inspections and transparency requirements. The I.A.E.A. defines the C.S.A. as a legally binding commitment with multiple safeguards in place to monitor countries’ nuclear materials and conduct surprise inspections and verification to ensure “nuclear material remains in peaceful activities.” C.N.B.C. reported that Saudi Arabia’s pledge to stop using the S.Q.P. seems to encourage greater nuclear and atomic oversight by I.A.E.A. inspectors, which may be crucial as the Kingdom makes efforts to be a larger player in the global theater. 

The I.A.E.A. reported that their Integrated Regulatory Review Service launched a mission on October 1st-October 10th, 2023, to Saudi Arabia who had submitted to a full inspection of their nuclear activities and infrastructure. Paul Dale, the I.R.R.S. mission leader from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in the United Kingdom, said to the I.A.E.A., “The regulatory oversight of radiation safety is solid, established and progressing, the IRRS team welcomes the commitment of NRRC to continue to progress its regulatory systems and to continually improve.”

As a current Middle Power in foreign affairs, the country has made efforts to use diplomacy and leverage its position to the West under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Ukrainian Embassy based in Saudi Arabia, for example, released a statement of appreciation on 15 October 2022, for the Kingdom’s humanitarian aid of $400 million to Ukraine and their continued de-escalation efforts. 

Despite the announcement, there seems to be some growing concern and distrust of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear technology among experts and lawmakers. The Hill reported that on 20 September 2023, Crown Prince Mohammed noted that if Iran were to develop nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would be compelled to do the same. “If they get one, we have to get one,” the Crown Prince said in an interview with Fox News, referring to Iran and acquiring nuclear weapons.