Saudi Arabia plans to scrap light-touch oversight of its nuclear facilities by the UN atomic watchdog and switch to regular safeguards by the end of this year, the Kingdom said on Monday, a step the watchdog has long been calling for. Saudi Arabia has a nascent nuclear program that it wants to expand to eventually include activities like proliferation-sensitive uranium enrichment. It is unclear where its ambitions end, since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said for years it will develop nuclear weapons if Iran does.For more Saudi news, visit our dedicated page.Riyadh has yet to fire up its first nuclear reactor, which allows its program to still be monitored under the Small Quantities Protocol (SQP), an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that exempts less advanced states from many reporting obligations and inspections. “The Kingdom ... has submitted a request to the agency in July 2024 to rescind the Small Quantities Protocol and