Multinational Uranium Enrichment in the Middle East: An Economic and Political Perspective

Abstract

With Iran gaining the international community’s conditional acceptance of its nuclear program and the United Arab Emirates constructing three of four planned nuclear reactors, nuclear energy has become a reality in the Middle East. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are also at different stages of planning their first nuclear power plants. However, regardless of the economic suitability for nuclear power in the region, it is still possible that Iran’s neighbors would demand having similar indigenous enrichment programs. In addition to Iran’s own security concerns, this would pose a major security threat as certain nuclear fuel cycle activities such as uranium enrichment and/or reprocessing would offer states the implicit capability to develop nuclear weapons at will. It is worth noting that Israel is not included in this analysis and policy recommendations for a variety of reasons, not the least is the fact that it does not have a civilian nuclear program. One option that would offer some real security benefits is the establishment of a joint uranium enrichment facility in the Middle East. This policy brief examines the economic viability of converting Iran’s uranium enrichment program into a multinational one while also discussing the underlying technical and political challenges and benefits.