On 22 July 2026, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral safeguards accord. The deal promised a 30‑year, multi‑billion‑dollar partnership to help Riyadh build a civilian nuclear sector.
On 23 July 2026, President Donald Trump announced that the agreement would be void unless Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords. The White House later reiterated that “the deal is off” without Saudi participation.
Key Developments
- Transfer of civil nuclear material, technology and equipment from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia.
- U.S. firms to receive preferred treatment in Saudi nuclear projects.
- Bilaterial safeguards to monitor enrichment, conversion, fuel fabrication and reprocessing.
- No requirement for Saudi Arabia to adopt the IAEA Additional Protocol.
- Two‑year joint study on the commercial viability of domestic uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia.
- U.S. would build and operate any enrichment plant, preventing transfer of sensitive technology.
Important Facts
The agreement differs from the 2009 U.S.–UAE deal, which barred the UAE from enrichment or re‑processing before its Barakah plant became operational. The Saudi text, still unpublished, contains no such clause. Initial fuel supply will be imported; only if the study favours local enrichment will a U.S.‑run facility be constructed.
Saudi Arabia’s push is driven by Vision 2030, which seeks to reduce oil‑dependent electricity generation and fund AI data centres, megaprojects, and tourism. The kingdom also cites security concerns – the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the regional rivalry with Iran – as reasons to develop an indigenous nuclear power base.