Saudi Arabia Seeks US Nuclear Aid, but ‘Others’ Also Bidding, Says Top Diplomat During Blinken’s Visit
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, has stated that the kingdom would welcome US aid in building its civilian nuclear program, but there are also “others that are bidding.”
The comment came after a meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was visiting the kingdom. Recent news reports suggest that Saudi Arabia is asking for US aid in building its own nuclear program in exchange for establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.
Prince Faisal said that it is no secret that Saudi Arabia is developing its domestic civilian nuclear program and would prefer to have the US as one of the bidders. He added that normalisation with Israel would have limited benefits without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people. However, he did not say whether the nuclear issue is linked to normalisation.
The exchange came at the end of a two-day visit to the kingdom in which Blinken met with senior Saudi officials, including the country’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and co-hosted a meeting of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
The United States has been forced to recalibrate its decades-long alliance with Saudi Arabia as the oil-rich kingdom seeks to transform itself into a global player untethered from Washington.
