The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) have strengthened their partnership through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed today in Washington, D.C., marking the first time they are expanding their cooperation to include nuclear power and related energy applications to advance sustainable development and energy security.

The MoU was signed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, in the margins of the World Bank’s Annual Meetings. It aligns with the IAEA’s broader efforts to build partnerships with development banks and financial institutions to support Member States in their efforts to mobilize resources for investment in nuclear power. 

Building on two Practical Arrangements signed in 2023 and 2024, the new MoU formalizes cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, with a focus on capacity building, policy dialogue, and technology advancement. It provides a framework for collaboration on innovative nuclear technologies that can help countries diversify their energy mix and meet growing power demand.

The OPEC Fund seeks to explore how its development financing instruments can complement the IAEA’s technical expertise to unlock investment in safe, reliable, and low-carbon energy solutions, including nuclear power. 

“This partnership is a clear example of how the IAEA and international financial institutions can work together to bring innovation, technical expertise and financing together to expand the peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” said IAEA Director General Grossi. “Through this new agreement, we are expanding our cooperation with the OPEC Fund beyond health, food and agriculture, and climate resilience, to help countries integrate nuclear power into their energy transition strategies safely and responsibly.”

The MoU follows a series of high-level engagements between the IAEA and the OPEC Fund, including the successful joint mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in September 2025. The mission assessed investment opportunities for the establishment of the DRC’s first public radiotherapy centre, a project developed under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative. The OPEC Fund is preparing to present the project to its Board for approval this year.

OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “Energy drives progress, from powering hospitals and schools to enabling industry and digital growth. As partner countries seek reliable and affordable ways to meet rising demand, nuclear energy can offer a safe, secure and low-carbon option to strengthen energy systems and expand access. Through this partnership with the IAEA, we will help countries in need explore nuclear technologies responsibly, ensuring that sustainability and safety remain at the core of every solution.”

The IAEA and the OPEC Fund have been expanding their collaboration since 2023, when they signed Practical Arrangements focused on climate adaptation, food security, and nuclear applications for sustainable development. Those agreements strengthened joint support to the IAEA’s Rays of Hope and Atoms4Food initiatives.

Together, these partnerships are helping integrate nuclear energy into the global low carbon energy agenda and mobilize resources for projects that improve health, food, and energy security.