US-Saudi Civil Nuclear Agreement: A Strategic Energy Partnership

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have finalized a civil nuclear agreement enabling the Kingdom to build nuclear reactors and enrich uranium using American technology. This deal excludes the Additional Protocol for UN inspections and requires congressional approval. Concerns arise over potential regional arms escalation.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have solidified a pivotal civil nuclear agreement that will see the Kingdom develop nuclear reactors using American technology, the U.S. Energy Department confirmed on Wednesday. This landmark deal allows Saudi Arabia to both enrich uranium and process nuclear waste.

This agreement deviates from past proposals by excluding the Additional Protocol, which allowed the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency to perform unannounced inspections. The UAE had previously agreed to forgo uranium enrichment when signing a similar accord with the U.S. in 2009.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman inked the historic 123 Agreement. Despite assuring adherence to strong nonproliferation standards, the deal has ignited concerns among Democratic lawmakers about a potential arms race in the Middle East, particularly due to fears of nuclear capability escalation with Iran.