Expatica website – 24 June 2015
France is looking into building two nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia as part of a multi-billion-euro package of deals.
A feasibility study will be carried out to build two European Pressurised Reactors in Saudi Arabia, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced after a meeting with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Paris.
The announcement came as talks with Iran go to the wire ahead of the June 30 deadline.
World powers are looking for guarantees that Iran’s nuclear programme will remain purely for civil energy purposes, and does not lead to a bomb or trigger an arms race with its regional competitors, particularly the Saudis.
In addition to the feasibility study, France will sign an agreement to train the Saudis on nuclear safety and the treatment of nuclear waste.
A French diplomatic source told AFP that if the nuclear reactors are built the deal would be worth at least $10 billion.
A slew of other deals — totalling some $12 billion (10.7 billion euros) — were also finalised during the first “Franco-Saudi Joint Commission” meeting, including the sale of 23 H-145 multipurpose helicopters for 500 million euros and a commitment from the Saudis to buy 30 patrol boats for its navy.
“It represents the creation of many jobs and hundreds of millions of euros,” Fabius added.
Fabius also mentioned the Saudi Arabian Airlines order for 50 Airbus passenger planes valued at $8 billion, first announced at last week’s Paris Air Show.
Salman also met French President Francois Hollande later on Wednesday.