Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia

US Signs Nuclear Cooperation Deal With Saudi Arabia

The agreement is expected to benefit U.S. companies and reduce Russian and Chinese influence in Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear sector.

WASHINGTON—The United States and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on July 22 that will allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear program on its soil, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a statement.

The agreement may also allow for uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia.

The 123 Agreement, named after Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, was signed by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Both sides also signed a bilateral safeguards agreement.

“Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation,” the statement reads.

The 30-year agreement will give American companies a key role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure.

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Summary: The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, a bilateral safeguards document, and a 90-day congressional review timeline. The multibillion-dollar pact gives American firms priority access to build Saudi nuclear infrastructure while omitting strict "gold standard" prohibitions against domestic uranium enrichment.