President Donald Trump has approved an agreement that could allow Saudi Arabia to develop uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program, two people familiar with the matter told the AP.
The arrangement, expected to be publicly announced soon, would run for about 30 years and involve U.S. firms in building out the Saudi nuclear program. It could permit construction of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia after a joint U.S.-Saudi study, the sources said. The pact is expected to be submitted to Congress for review.
Lawmakers and nonproliferation experts may push back. Critics warn that enabling Saudi enrichment would increase proliferation risks and regional competition, since enrichment capacity can shorten the timeline to a weapons option even if a nation’s stated goal is peaceful power generation.
Saudi Arabia is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which promotes peaceful uses of nuclear energy and inspects programs to guard against clandestine weapons activity. One source said the agreement is not expected to include the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which provides expanded monitoring, inspections and verification.
The expected announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions involving Iran and Israel. The White House and Saudi officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the decision.
Both Trump and former President Joe Biden previously sought nuclear cooperation arrangements with Riyadh to share U.S. technology. Nonproliferation experts have cautioned that operating centrifuges in Saudi Arabia could make weaponization more feasible down the road — a concern amplified by Saudi leaders’ statements suggesting they might pursue a bomb if Iran were to obtain one.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright traveled to Saudi Arabia last year shortly before Trump’s visit and discussed expanding the kingdom’s commercial nuclear power industry with his Saudi counterpart. The U.S. Department of Energy had not commented late Tuesday.
Regional security ties add to the debate. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan recently signed a mutual defense pact, and Pakistan’s defense minister subsequently said his country’s nuclear program “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed — remarks that analysts view as a deterrent signal in a volatile neighborhood.
Experts note enrichment alone does not automatically produce a nuclear weapon; additional technical steps and weaponization expertise are required. Still, access to enriched uranium shortens the path to a bomb compared with relying on imported fuel, which is why the United Arab Emirates’ earlier U.S. “123 agreement” — which built the Barakah nuclear plant without pursuing enrichment — has been cited as a nonproliferation model.
The deal’s pending submission to Congress will likely trigger scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about safeguards, verification and the long-term proliferation implications of enabling Saudi enrichment.