Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) yesterday denied claims circulating online suggesting that ash from Ethiopia’s recently erupted Hayli Gubbi volcano poses any radioactive risk to the kingdom.
In a statement, the authority refuted media speculation about potential health and environmental impacts from radioactive materials allegedly carried by the volcanic plume.
“There are speculations circulating in some media outlets and social media platforms that the ash from the Ethiopian Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted recently, may carry radioactive materials that affect health and the environment,” the NRRC said on X.
It clarified that the ash’s geological composition includes naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), which can also be found in regular dust and soil transported by winds across the region.
“The natural geological components that this ash may carry, including natural radioactive materials, which may also be components of some dust and soil from the winds, have no radiation impact on environmental safety,” the authority said.
The NRRC confirmed that monitoring systems have detected no radioactive effects within Saudi Arabia and that environmental safety levels remain normal.
Authorities said the kingdom is prepared to take any necessary measures should weather conditions change.
Satellites detected a large release of sulfur dioxide when the volcano erupted along Ethiopia’s eastern border with Eritrea.
“Recent weather monitoring images and analytical reports confirm that there has been no direct impact on the kingdom’s atmosphere from the volcanic ash emitted by Haile Gobi,” Hussein Al Qahtani, the official spokesperson for the National Centre for Meteorology (NCM), told Al Arabiya.
The long-dormant volcano erupted on Sunday, sending thick smoke and lava skyward before winds carried ash eastward over large areas of Yemen and Oman, with projections showing the plume moving toward India.
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