Trump backs 30-year Saudi nuclear accord

President Donald Trump has approved a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that centers on the kingdom’s civilian nuclear program. The arrangement is designed as a 30-year deal and is expected to be made public as early as Wednesday, based on information from people familiar with the decision.

The agreement aims to formalize nuclear collaboration between the two countries and is expected to be submitted to Congress for review. The decision has not yet been officially announced, and there was no immediate public response from the White House or Saudi authorities at the time of reporting.

A central feature of the agreement is that it could potentially provide Saudi Arabia with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program. The deal could allow for the construction of a uranium enrichment facility inside the kingdom, contingent on the outcome of a planned joint U.S.-Saudi study.

Such an enrichment facility would represent a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure, enabling it to process uranium domestically rather than relying solely on foreign suppliers. The framework places this development within a cooperative structure with the United States.

The agreement is expected to involve U.S. firms in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program. This participation could include technology, services, or project development related to nuclear power, though the specific commercial arrangements were not detailed in the available information.

By structuring the cooperation over three decades, the accord creates a long-term pathway for U.S. companies to engage with Saudi nuclear projects under an agreed framework. This embeds private-sector involvement within the broader strategic relationship between the two governments.

The deal is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, giving lawmakers an opportunity to examine and potentially challenge the terms of the cooperation. Some members of Congress are anticipated to raise concerns that enabling Saudi uranium enrichment could trigger new rounds of nuclear proliferation and regional competition.

Critics fear that domestic enrichment capability, even for civilian purposes, may complicate efforts to prevent the spread of sensitive nuclear technologies. These concerns will likely shape the congressional debate over whether and how the agreement should move forward.

Saudi Arabia is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which sets standards and conducts inspections for civilian nuclear activities. This membership places the kingdom within the international nonproliferation and safeguards system as it pursues nuclear energy.

The new agreement would operate alongside existing IAEA obligations, aligning U.S.-Saudi cooperation with global nuclear oversight mechanisms. How the enrichment-related provisions interact with these safeguards will be a key issue for policymakers evaluating the pact.