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U.S. and Saudi Arabia Officially Sign Civil Nuclear Deal
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have signed a civil nuclear agreement along with a related security deal. U.S. officials also announced a bilateral defense agreement: "The agreements lay the foundation for a multibillion-dollar partnership lasting decades."
- יובל אביב
- | Updated
The U.S. Department of Energy officially announced overnight (Wednesday) that the civil nuclear agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia has been signed, after days of reports and assessments that the move had been approved by President Donald Trump.
The agreement, considered one of the most significant in relations between the two countries in recent years, is meant to regulate cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy and expand the involvement of American industry in future projects in the kingdom.
The agreement was signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Alongside the civil nuclear agreement, known as the "123 Agreement," a related agreement dealing with security aspects was also signed. The U.S. Department of Energy said the agreements will give American companies access to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy market, helping strengthen industry in the United States and deepen cooperation between the two countries.
In an official statement, the U.S. Department of Energy said: "The agreements lay the legal foundation for a multibillion-dollar partnership lasting decades to advance several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation. The partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia will expand exports of American nuclear technology."
The next step in the process will be approval of the agreement in the U.S. Congress, where, according to assessments, it is not expected to face significant opposition.
Even before the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had given his approval to the historic agreement. At the same time, according to a report in The New York Times, the agreement allows Saudi Arabia to advance civilian nuclear infrastructure, including enrichment capabilities, under American auspices, without being required to give up its positions on the issue of normalization with Israel.
