The US-Saudi nuclear deal expected Wednesday would let Saudi Arabia pursue a civilian nuclear programme, but it is already drawing concern in Israel and Congress.
The US-Saudi nuclear deal expected Wednesday would allow Saudi Arabia to develop a civilian nuclear programme, according to US media reports. The announcement is expected from President Donald Trump’s administration, with US officials cited as saying the plan could be unveiled on Wednesday.
The proposed US-Saudi nuclear deal could also be worth billions of dollars to American companies, which may take part in building a facility to produce enriched uranium. That material can be used as fuel for power plants, but it can also be used in nuclear weapons. Under the reported terms, Saudi Arabia would first carry out a joint study with the US and could then be allowed to enrich uranium on its own soil at a US-built enrichment facility rather than rely on imported fuel.
That point sets the arrangement apart from the 2009 US deal with the United Arab Emirates, under which the UAE does not produce its own fuel and accepts several other restrictions. Because of that difference, the plan is expected to face opposition from nuclear non-proliferation campaigners, who want to prevent more countries from gaining the ability to build nuclear arms. Nuclear experts and former officials in Israel, Washington’s main ally in the Middle East, have also raised concerns that the project could one day give Saudi Arabia a path to a nuclear weapon.
The nuclear issue has also been tied to the months-long US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The two countries say they attacked Iran in February to stop it from ever developing a nuclear weapon, something Tehran denies it is trying to do. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told CBS News in 2018 that the kingdom was not seeking a nuclear bomb, but he said Riyadh would follow Iran if Tehran built one.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump has already approved the deal, which would last 30 years. If the US objects to enrichment in Saudi Arabia after the joint study, the kingdom would be barred from doing it on its own or with another foreign partner for 10 years, the newspaper reported. The plan will now go to Congress, where some lawmakers in both parties are expected to resist it even though Trump’s Republican Party controls both chambers. The New York Times also reported that the deal is not tied to Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel, despite long-standing US efforts to secure that outcome. Why this matters to you: it could shape US policy, Middle East security, and how closely American companies are tied to a sensitive nuclear project.
