Radiation safety

Saudi Plans Military Base and Nuclear Dump Near Qatar

Saudi Arabia plans to build a military base and nuclear dump on a proposed project that would turn the peninsula of Qatar into an island, the Al Riyadh newspaper reported.

On Thursday, the Sabq online newspaper reported that authorities are considering digging a 60 kilometer (37.5 mile) canal, measuring 200 meters wide and up to 20 meters deep, running the entire length of the strip of Saudi territory that borders Qatar. Al Riyadh, citing people familiar with the venture, reported that Saudi Arabia would earmark part of the canal zone for the base and a facility for nuclear waste from its planned reactors.

The Saudi government’s Center for International Communication didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.A.E. appeared to confirm the canal project, with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeting that Qatar’s “silence on the canal project is proof of their fear and confusion.”