King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE)

King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) is the entity in charge of recommending the national nuclear and renewable energy policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2010, its primary responsibility is to utilize atomic and renewable energy sciences, research, and industries for peaceful purposes in order to support the Kingdom's sustainable development.

K.A.CARE is in charge of upholding the national commitments made under all atomic and renewable energy agreements that the Kingdom has or will enter into. It is responsible for overseeing and keeping track of all activities involving the use of atomic energy and the resulting radioactive waste.

K.A.CARE is an independent legal entity, which is administratively affiliated with the Prime Minister, and has an independent annual budget. It may also establish a budget for its programs with durations exceeding one year, in accordance with their anticipated implementation time.

The city fulfills a variety of roles and functions, such as implementing applied scientific research programs in its areas of expertise both inside and outside the Kingdom, encouraging the private sector to conduct research on medical, agricultural, industrial, and mining products, generating power, producing desalinated water, and rationalizing energy applications to protect natural resources and improve their efficiency. Moreover, K.A.CARE issues regulations to prevent atomic radiation risks for the workforce and the public, and represents the Kingdom before the International Atomic Energy Agency and other relevant international organizations.

K.A.CARE operates from its headquarters in the capital, Riyadh. Its board of directors oversees the management and handles all business decisions. It is led by the Minister of Energy, which has the authority to make whatever choices necessary to accomplish its goals. The president of K.A.CARE is appointed by a Royal Decree, and is the executive officer responsible for managing and representing the city.

K.A.CARE is responsible for developing atomic energy works in the Kingdom. In 2017, the Council of Ministers approved the launch of SNAEP to meet sustainable national development requirements, as part of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. Among the most important benefits of introducing atomic energy in the Kingdom is the introduction of diverse energy sources, rather than focusing on oil in energy production, in addition to addressing water scarcity through the expansion of atomic energy use in water desalination.

SNAEP, which is in line with the Kingdom's international obligations, include integrally implemented works, activities and projects, such as developing the national infrastructure, identifying and preparing sites for the first nuclear power plant's construction, adopting pressurized light water reactors as the best option for reactors, generating electricity, and establishing the Saudi Nuclear Energy Holding Company.

The city diversifies the Kingdom's sources of income, and participated with the Saudi Geological Survey in developing a proposal for a program specialized in the exploration and assessment of uranium ores in the Kingdom. This will diversify sources of income within the Kingdom, increase the local content of value chains that include services, products and jobs, and encourage the effective contribution of the private sector. Moreover, K.A.CARE launched the National Cadres Development Program for the Uranium Mining Project to transfer and train national cadres in the field of uranium ores exploration, and produce uranium oxide (yellowcake).