Washington and Riyadh sign civilian nuclear cooperation pact

A newly signed US-Saudi agreement opens American access to Saudi Arabia's nuclear program, though the text remains private and enrichment terms are unclear.

The US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia have signed what both sides describe as a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement. The DOE said the deal gives American companies access to the Saudi nuclear energy program and lays the foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership. The full text was not made public.

US media reports say the agreement could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically in the future — a provision described as possible rather than confirmed. Rosemary Kelanic of the Defense Priorities think tank noted the US has never before helped another country enrich uranium on its own soil; a 2009 US deal with the UAE explicitly barred domestic fuel production. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the agreements uphold high standards of safety and nonproliferation, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would not accept any deal risking proliferation.

Civilian nuclear power offers clean baseload electricity, and a new market of this scale could expand reactor construction and the supply chains behind it. That matters for long-term energy abundance across a fast-growing region.

The agreement now goes to Congress, where Republicans control both chambers; Democratic Senator Edward Markey has condemned it. Key details — including any enrichment path — rest on media reports rather than the released text, and experts say a weapons capability would likely take decades to develop. The deal follows the Saudi leader's Washington visit last November and came days after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.

Source: BBC World