Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission has dismissed social media rumors and media speculation suggesting that ash from Ethiopia’s Haile Gobi volcanic eruption may contain radioactive materials harmful to health or the environment.
In a statement posted on X, the commission said the volcanic ash may contain natural geological components — including naturally occurring radioactive materials often found in dust and sand — but stressed that these pose no radiological risk to the environment or public safety.
The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) also confirmed that the eruption will not impact the Kingdom’s atmosphere.
NCM spokesman Hussein Al-Qahtani said the center is monitoring cloud movement and weather phenomena around the clock using advanced national systems.
“The current indicators do not show any path of volcanic ash toward the Kingdom’s atmosphere,” he said, adding that continuous monitoring and real-time data updates are underway.
Al-Qahtani noted that the center will take all necessary measures if any impactful weather phenomenon arises and will issue alerts or updates as needed.
The Haile Gobi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region within the Great Rift Valley, began erupting on Sunday morning after remaining dormant for thousands of years.
Satellite imagery captured a dense ash plume rising more than 10 kilometers into the sky, visible across regional monitoring platforms.
Satellite imagery captured a dense ash plume rising more than 10 kilometers into the sky, visible across regional monitoring platforms.
