South Korea to build first nuclear plant in Saudi by 2020

South Korea expects to start building the first nuclear power station in Saudi Arabia by 2020, Al Eqtisadiah newspaper reported, citing the Korean ambassador to Saudi Arabia Kwon Pyung-oh.

The project’s implementation is pending Saudi approval, the ambassador said.

There are currently about 80 Korean companies working in the Kingdom, mostly in the contracting, infrastructure, and commercial investment sectors, Pyung-oh added.

A Korean trade delegation arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet with officials and Korean companies operating in Saudi Arabia.

Last week, Saudi Arabia said it planned to launch a tender for its first nuclear reactors as early as next month. The Kingdom would contact potential vendors from a number of countries including South Korea, France and China, Reuters reported.

The nuclear power plants will have an initial electricity generating capacity of up to 2.8 gigawatts (GW).