The United States and Saudi Arabia reached a 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement on July 22, 2026, allowing the kingdom to enrich uranium using American technology without requiring snap U.N. inspections, according to official reports.
Washington and Riyadh Seal a Multi-Billion-Dollar Nuclear Pact
United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the landmark nuclear cooperation pact, known as a 123 Agreement, alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement, the U.S. Energy Department said on Wednesday. Negotiated under Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the multibillion-dollar agreement is expected to be worth tens of billions of dollars, firstpost.com.
The agreement establishes the legal framework for American companies to construct Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy infrastructure, including reactors and related fuel supply chain technology. One of the primary commercial beneficiaries will be Westinghouse, which is jointly owned by Canada-based Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management. The company’s AP1000 nuclear reactor, capable of generating around 1,100 megawatts of electricity, is among the leading technologies slated for deployment, Firstpost explained.
Administration officials presented the agreement as a vital step to revitalize the American nuclear industry and strengthen strategic ties while denying Russia and China a significant role in the kingdom’s nuclear program.
Concessions on Uranium Enrichment and Oversight
Unlike previous nonproliferation frameworks, the new agreement departs sharply from past U.S. policy. When Washington struck a comparable 123 Agreement with the United Arab Emirates in 2009, Abu Dhabi agreed to forgo producing its own fuel and reprocessing nuclear waste, The Week noted. In contrast, the agreement with Saudi Arabia allows the kingdom to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste.
Furthermore, the pact omits the Additional Protocol, an oversight mechanism that allows the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out snap inspections at undeclared locations. As Reuters reported, Saudi Arabia switched more than a year ago from light-touch IAEA oversight to regular safeguards monitoring declared facilities, but resisted the broader intrusive inspections accepted by more than 140 other nations, irishtimes.com.
In a statement announcing the deal on Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that the agreements rely on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists, designed in the United States, and uphold the highest standards of non-proliferation and nuclear safety.
Capitol Hill Opposition and Proliferation Warnings
The administration must now submit the agreement to Congress, where lawmakers have a 90-session-day window to review it. Unless Congress raises votes to object to the deal within that window, the deal will go into force, though it would need a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto, according to the Energy Department.
Critics argue that loosening these standards sets a dangerous precedent. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously stated that Riyadh will develop nuclear weapons if its regional rival Iran does. Lawmakers and nonproliferation advocates point out that allowing uranium enrichment on Saudi soil introduces severe security risks.
“We urge all members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to recognize the risks and to exercise their power to reject or modify Trump’s proposed nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia so as not to open the door for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East even wider.”
Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, via Reuters
“They are allowing Saudi Arabia, a belligerent and authoritarian nation, to develop nuclear weapons technologies while starting a war with Iran under the guise of preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb. This deal would make us all less safe.”
Senator Edward Markey, via Reuters
Economic Diversification and the Discovery of White Gold
Beyond the nuclear agreement, the kingdom is aggressively pursuing alternative energy and industrial revenue streams to move away from its historical dependence on petroleum. Saudi Arabia recently discovered lithium reserves in its oil fields near the sea, opening a new chapter for state-owned petroleum giant Aramco, india.com.
Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Mining Affairs, announced that the kingdom will soon launch a commercial pilot program to direct-mine lithium from brine runoffs. Lithium Infinity, a startup launched out of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, is leading the extraction project alongside Ma’aden and Aramco, India.com reported.
“They are extracting lithium through their new technology they have developed in King Abdullah University for Science and Technology and they are in accelerated development in this regard. They’re building a commercial pilot at the oil fields. So the brines that come out of the field will feed into this commercial pilot on a continuous basis.”
Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Mining Affairs, via India.com and Reuters
Regional Defense Ties and Future Infrastructure
The convergence of civil nuclear agreements, lithium extraction, and domestic energy demands highlights Riyadh’s broader transition strategy. Saudi officials intend to use nuclear power to fuel domestic electricity demand and data centers driven by artificial intelligence, freeing up more crude oil for export, Firstpost noted.
At the same time, regional security dynamics remain deeply intertwined with external partnerships. Analysts continue to monitor how these overlapping agreements will influence the balance of power in West Asia as the 90-day congressional review clock ticks forward.
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