Trump administration signs commercial nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

Energy Secretary Chris Wright at an Oval Office meeting earlier this month. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption

The Trump administration has signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that would allow American companies to run commercial nuclear power plants on Saudi soil.

The agreement was signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Department of Energy announced on Wednesday. They also signed an accompanying agreement about safeguards. The deal must be reviewed by Congress, which has 90 days to consider it.

The cooperation agreement gives American companies priority access to the Saudi nuclear energy program, meaning they can supply nuclear reactors and fuel, according to an administration memo about the agreement seen by NPR. It's expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars, the Energy Department said.

"These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad," Wright said in the announcement. "Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States."

However, the memo seen by NPR said the agreement does not include provisions known as the "gold standard" that would prohibit the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing nuclear fuel, nor does it require Saudi Arabia to adopt terms that would lead to greater oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The lack of those restrictions will raise concerns over providing the kingdom a pathway to weapons development. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that if Iran were to develop a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit.

"Congress should approve only if the deal has the same gold-standard safeguards as our deal with the UAE," Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Ca., posted on X on Tuesday evening, before the agreement was announced. "A President waging war to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East should not facilitate proliferation just because U.S. companies stand to make a profit."

The memo says the U.S. does not support a Saudi nuclear weapons program, and that the agreement is limited to peaceful cooperation on nuclear energy.

The memo notes that the agreement includes nonproliferation terms under the Atomic Energy Act. It also says that while the agreement provides a legal pathway for cooperation on the nuclear fuel cycle, it does not obligate the U.S. to transfer any fuel cycle capabilities or technologies to Saudi Arabia.

"I think it may make negotiating a reasonable deal with Iran more difficult," said Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered.

Bunn said that Iran was less likely to sign an agreement involving intrusive inspections of its nuclear program if Saudi Arabia was also not committing to such agreements.