US, Saudi Arabia sign historic nuclear deal that could allow local uranium enrichment
1 min readJul 23, 2026 08:32 AM IST
The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a deal reportedly allowing the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme.
Described as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement”, the deal will provide “great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme”, the US energy department said.
Even as the text from the deal was not made public, The Wall Street Journal reported that a key part of it 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. AP reported the same, noting the enrichment facility would follow a joint US-Saudi study.
According to experts, the deal would mark a first for the US and hold the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.
The US Department of Energy stated that along with the said deal, a “bilateral safeguards agreement” was also signed. “Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation,” the statement read.
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