What’s in Trump’s approved 30-year nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump meets Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)US President Donald Trump has formally approved a landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that will give the kingdom a civilian nuclear programme, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
The deal has not yet been formally announced and is expected to be made public as early as Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorised to speak on the record, the Associated Press (AP) reported separately.
What does the deal cover?
The agreement is set to run for 30 years and is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, the Journal reported. It is designed to give American companies a leading role in building Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure, while shutting out other foreign competitors, according to the Journal.
AP similarly reported that the deal is expected to involve US firms in developing the programme.
A key part of the deal would see American firms build a uranium enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia, if a joint review by Washington and Riyadh concludes the move is justified, the Journal reported. AP reported the same detail, noting the enrichment facility would follow a joint US-Saudi study.
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The deal would give the US a role in monitoring Saudi Arabia’s nuclear activities, which Trump administration officials say could help stop the programme being used to develop weapons, according to the Journal.
The agreement is expected to be sent to Congress for review in the coming days, the Journal reported, and is likely to face opposition from lawmakers worried about expanding nuclear capabilities in an already unstable Middle East. The White House had not responded to a request for comment at the time of AP’s report.
