Saudi Arabia, U.S. Advancing Toward Civil Nuclear Agreement, Says Energy Secretary
The United States and Saudi Arabia are moving toward a preliminary agreement to collaborate on the Kingdom’s civil nuclear ambitions, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Sunday in Riyadh, according to Reuters.
Following a meeting with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Wright said both nations are on a “pathway” to a deal that would support the development of a Saudi civil nuclear program. This marks Wright’s first visit to the Kingdom as energy secretary, part of a broader tour of Gulf energy producers.
Wright indicated that further details would be outlined in a memorandum of understanding expected later this year. “For the U.S. to partner on nuclear here, a 123 agreement will be necessary,” he said, referring to Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Such an agreement is required for American entities to engage in nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
Nuclear Weapons Capability
However, Wright noted that Saudi Arabia has yet to accept the conditions laid out in the act, which include nine non-proliferation criteria designed to prevent the misuse of nuclear technology for weapons development.
Talks have previously stalled over Saudi reluctance to forgo uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing—both sensitive technologies linked to nuclear weapons capability. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly stated that Saudi Arabia would pursue a nuclear weapon if Iran were to obtain one, raising concerns among arms control advocates and U.S. lawmakers.
Wright did not mention broader diplomatic efforts, such as the previous Biden administration’s push for a wider U.S.-Saudi-Israel agreement that would include nuclear cooperation and security assurances aimed at normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties.
As part of its Vision 2030 reform agenda, Saudi Arabia—the world’s top oil exporter—is looking to diversify its energy mix by expanding into renewables and nuclear energy to reduce carbon emissions.
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