The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement that would allow the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology while also permitting it to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, marking a major shift in long-running negotiations between the two countries.
The agreement, announced by the U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday, was signed by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Known as a “123 Agreement,” the pact was signed alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement and now moves to the U.S. Congress, where lawmakers have 90 legislative session days to object before it can take effect. Overriding a presidential veto would require a two-thirds majority.
Negotiations over a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia have continued through the administrations of both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden but had previously failed to produce a final deal. Non-proliferation groups have long argued that such an agreement could provide Saudi Arabia with a pathway to develop nuclear weapons.
Unlike a proposal pursued during the Biden administration, the new agreement does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which authorises intrusive snap inspections of nuclear facilities. The deal also allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, both activities regarded as potential routes towards producing nuclear weapons. When the United Arab Emirates signed a similar agreement with the United States in 2009, it agreed to forgo both capabilities.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the agreement complies with the non-proliferation provisions contained in the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, describing them as among the strongest safeguards in the world. Saudi Arabia has previously stated that if it could not secure a nuclear partnership with the United States, it could instead pursue cooperation with China or Russia, which apply different non-proliferation standards.
The proposed agreement covers an estimated 30-year partnership centred on the construction of AP1000 nuclear reactors, a programme valued at tens of billions of dollars. The project is expected to benefit Westinghouse, which is jointly owned by Canada’s Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.
An industry source told Reuters that the agreement requires a feasibility study into the use of U.S. nuclear technology in Saudi Arabia. The source said the time required to complete the study, construct nuclear power plants and establish uranium enrichment infrastructure means it could take many years before the programme becomes operational.
The agreement has drawn criticism from arms control advocates and some members of Congress. Kelsey Davenport, director for non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, urged lawmakers from both parties to reject or amend the agreement, saying it could further increase the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly stated that the kingdom does not seek to develop a nuclear weapon but would do so if Iran acquired one. Those remarks have fuelled concerns among critics that the agreement could contribute to a regional arms race.
Democratic Senator Edward Markey criticised the deal, saying it would allow Saudi Arabia to develop technologies associated with nuclear weapons while the United States remained engaged in conflict with Iran over its nuclear programme. He said the agreement would make the international community less secure. Republican Senator Jim Risch, however, said he agreed with the Saudi crown prince that the agreement would benefit both countries.
