The United States and Saudi Arabia are moving toward a preliminary agreement to cooperate on developing a civil nuclear program in the kingdom, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced this weekend during his visit to Riyadh.
Wright, on his first official visit to Saudi Arabia, met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and stated that both nations are on a “pathway” toward collaboration in nuclear energy.
The agreement is expected to involve a memorandum of understanding later this year. Any US involvement in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program would require a so-called “123 Agreement,” referring to Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This section outlines nine non-proliferation requirements designed to prevent the use of civil nuclear technology for weapons development or the transfer of sensitive materials.
“For a US partnership and involvement in nuclear here, there will definitely be a 123 agreement … there’s lots of ways to structure a deal that will accomplish both the Saudi objectives and the American objectives,” Wright said.
Progress on a deal has previously been hindered by Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept restrictions that would prohibit uranium enrichment or fuel reprocessing – both of which can be used to produce nuclear weapons.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has previously warned that Saudi Arabia would pursue nuclear weapons if Iran acquired them, a position that has raised concerns among arms control advocates and US lawmakers.
