US signs deal with Saudi Arabia that could allow kingdom to enrich nuclear fuel

US Signs Deal with Saudi Arabia on Nuclear Fuel Enrichment

Earthguardiansonline.com – President Donald Trump has approved a landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could enable the kingdom to enrich its own fuel for civilian reactors without adopting the “gold standard” of international oversight. The Department of Energy announced the agreement’s signature on Wednesday afternoon, with the deal now moving to Congress for a mandatory review period.

Key Terms and Safeguards

The 123 agreement would last 30 years, according to one US official, involving American companies providing technology and expertise to develop the Saudi program. Before uranium enrichment could begin, a joint US-Saudi team would explore whether it is warranted and commercially viable. Americans would build the facility without transferring the sensitive technology to Saudi Arabia. The deal bars Riyadh from developing its own enrichment technology or purchasing it from other countries for a decade, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the deal’s approval.

The kingdom is notably not required to sign the Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency, like the United Arab Emirates did in 2009 when it signed a “gold standard” nuclear cooperation deal with the US. The Saudis long balked at signing the protocol over concerns that it could theoretically allow inspectors to enter the holy city of Mecca or royal palaces. Instead, the agreement includes a bilateral safeguards agreement that resembles the model protocol but lacks the portions that offended Riyadh.

The IAEA Board of Governors will have to ratify its terms. Proponents say the agreement will offer a lucrative commercial outlet for America’s resurgent nuclear industry while potentially freezing out rivals such as Russia and China. The Energy Department announcement said the agreements mark the beginning of “a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership,” arguing that the accord will “create high-paying US jobs and long-term economic growth.” A spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Washington released a statement confirming the agreement, saying it “reflects the shared vision of both countries to expand cooperation in energy and future technologies.”

Dan Joyner, a nuclear regulatory consultant and law professor at the University of Alabama, told CNN that the agreement will open the door for “American and allied companies” to sell “reactors, components, fuel services, training, and technical assistance” with government export approval.

The deal could strategically benefit the US if it locks the Saudis into using US technology and provides Washington “continuing influence over its safety, security, and nonproliferation practices.” If the agreement falls through, Saudi Arabia could turn to Russia or China, giving those countries long-term influence over critical Saudi infrastructure. Other countries in the region are likely to closely monitor the deal’s progress. Israel, widely believed to have undeclared nuclear weapons, has long been wary of Saudi Arabia accessing nuclear technology. Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main rival in the region, has a stockpile of enriched uranium and has vowed to cling to its nuclear program even after months of US bombardment.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pledged to seek a nuclear weapon if Iran were ever to produce one. Uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing are the two main pathways to create the core materials necessary to build nuclear weapons. Most countries with civilian nuclear reactors that require enriched uranium don’t produce it domestically — they instead purchase the material from vendors like the US or Russia and receive it in sealed shipments under strict international supervision.

The US has been eying a Saudi civilian nuclear agreement for years. Under the Biden administration, such an arrangement was viewed as part of a broader normalization pact between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The administration let the deal languish for months over concerns about the Iran war and the potential for congressional disapproval. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, in a statement accompanying the signature announcement, argued that “the agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation.”