3 hours ago
19
The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a sweeping 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement that could eventually allow Riyadh to enrich uranium on its own soil.
The agreement was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s broader involvement in the framework. The pact opens the door for American firms, notably Westinghouse, to help build nuclear reactors and related infrastructure in the kingdom, with multibillion-dollar investments on the table.
What the deal actually includes
The deal includes a joint two-year feasibility study that could lead to the construction of a US-operated uranium enrichment facility inside Saudi Arabia.
Previous US nuclear cooperation agreements with other Middle Eastern partners, like the UAE, included what’s known as the “gold standard.” That’s a commitment by the partner nation to forgo domestic uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing entirely.
This agreement with Riyadh does not include that gold standard. It also lacks enhanced protocols from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the global nuclear watchdog. Those additional IAEA protocols would have given inspectors broader authority to monitor Saudi nuclear activities and verify that enrichment stays purely civilian.
Why arms control experts are worried
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a 2018 interview that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, the kingdom will pursue one too. Granting Saudi Arabia a pathway to enrichment capability, even under a civilian umbrella, introduces ambiguity into a region already saturated with it.
The agreement is set to face a congressional review period under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, which allows for a potential 90-session-day period for objections to be lodged.
The energy diversification play
The kingdom has been aggressively pursuing energy diversification under its Vision 2030 program, trying to reduce its near-total dependence on oil revenues. Nuclear power provides baseload electricity without burning through the very commodity the kingdom exports for revenue.
For US companies, particularly Westinghouse and other nuclear technology firms, the agreement represents a potentially massive revenue stream across a 30-year timeline. The deal also serves to counter Russia and China, which have been aggressively marketing their own nuclear technology to Middle Eastern and African nations.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·