Nuclear security

Nuclear Gulf: Is Saudi Arabia pushing itself into a nuclear trap?

When countries start dabbling in nuclear energy, eyebrows raise. It's understandable. Stopping the spread of nuclear weapons while allowing countries to pursue civilian nuclear programmes has proven a tough and sometimes unsuccessful balancing act for the global community.

So when atom-splitting initiatives surface in a region with a history of nuclear secrecy and where whacking missiles into one's enemies is relatively common, it is not just eyebrows that are hoisted, but red flags.

Right now, warning banners are waving above the Arabian Peninsula, where the United Arab Emirates has loaded fuel rods into the first of four reactors at Barakah - the Arab world's first nuclear power plant.