The United States and Saudi Arabia are set to sign a landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement Wednesday, advancing Riyadh’s long-sought nuclear ambitions and setting up a congressional fight over nuclear proliferation.
The agreement establishes a framework for American companies to help develop Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program, including the potential construction of a uranium enrichment facility if a joint U.S.-Saudi study determines that enriching uranium inside the kingdom is economically justified.
The 30-year agreement is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars and is intended to give American firms a central role in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Under the agreement, the United States and Saudi Arabia will conduct a two-year study examining whether it is more practical for the kingdom to enrich uranium domestically rather than importing nuclear fuel. If the study concludes domestic enrichment is warranted, American companies would build the facility under what The Wall Street Journal described as a “secretive black box arrangement” designed to prevent the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology.
If Washington objects to enrichment, Saudi Arabia would reportedly be barred from pursuing it independently or with another country for at least 10 years.
Trump administration officials argue that placing American companies at the center of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program will give Washington greater oversight while helping ensure the kingdom’s civilian nuclear program cannot be diverted toward developing nuclear weapons.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman are expected to sign the agreement Wednesday afternoon.
While the agreement is intended to support Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy program, the possibility of Riyadh having nuclear weapons ambitions has raised concerns, especially since de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly said Saudi Arabia would pursue a nuclear weapon if Iran develops one.
In a 2018 interview with CBS News, he said, “If Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”
He reiterated that position during a 2023 interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, saying, “If they get one, we have to get one … for security reasons and for balancing power in the Middle East.”
Riyadh views Iran as its primary regional rival, and the kingdom has increasingly linked its own security posture to Tehran’s nuclear program.
Still, Saudi Arabia has long sought civilian nuclear power as part of its effort to diversify its economy and free more of its oil production for export.
The agreement is also expected to benefit American industry, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that Westinghouse Electric and its AP1000 reactor technology are among the companies expected to gain.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a senator was a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia obtaining nuclear capabilities, defended the agreement Wednesday.
“Suffice it to say, the U.S. is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation,” Rubio told reporters.
The agreement is known as a “123 Agreement,” which establishes the legal framework for civilian nuclear cooperation between the United States and foreign governments. According to The New York Times, the United States has 26 such agreements with 51 governments and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The agreement will be reviewed by Congress under the Atomic Energy Act, which allows lawmakers to block the agreement by passing a joint resolution of disapproval. However, Congress would need a two-thirds majority to override a likely presidential veto, making it unlikely the agreement would be rejected.
Still, some members of Congress including Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) have requested clarification from the Trump administration as to how Saudi Arabia will be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Others have criticized the agreement because it differs from the nuclear cooperation agreement the United States reached with the United Arab Emirates in 2009, which became known as the “gold standard” for nuclear nonproliferation.
Under that agreement, the UAE permanently gave up the right to enrich uranium and adopted the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, subjecting its nuclear program to more rigorous inspections.
The Trump administration argues its agreement with Saudi Arabia contains different safeguards, including extensive U.S. involvement in the kingdom’s nuclear program, that will allow Washington to closely monitor its development.
Critics, however, contend the agreement weakens longstanding U.S. nonproliferation standards by allowing for the possibility of domestic uranium enrichment, giving Saudi Arabia infrastructure that could one day support a nuclear weapons program. They also warn the agreement could encourage other countries in the region — including Turkey, Egypt, and even the UAE — to pursue enrichment programs of their own.
Rubio has previously argued that any U.S. nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia should include strict nonproliferation safeguards.
In 2018, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would have required Congress to affirmatively approve any civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh while conditioning cooperation on Saudi Arabia permanently renouncing uranium enrichment, adopting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol and meeting additional human rights conditions.
The following year, Rubio joined then-Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in requesting a Government Accountability Office review of the Trump administration’s nuclear negotiations with Saudi Arabia, citing concerns over transparency and nuclear proliferation.
In 2025, Wright and bin Salman Al Saud signed a Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Cooperation. At the time, Wright called it a “historic day.”
“We’ve come together on a deal for civil nuclear cooperation,” he said. “Together, with bilateral safeguard agreements, we want to grow our partnership, bring American nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, and keep a firm commitment to nonproliferation.”
The agreement had also been explored during the Biden administration, though negotiations were tied to a broader effort to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Those efforts largely stalled after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
The Trump administration instead pursued the nuclear agreement independently as part of its broader effort to deepen economic and strategic ties with the kingdom.
During his trip to the kingdom last year, Trump announced what the White House described as the largest defense sales agreement in history — a nearly $142 billion package providing Saudi Arabia with air and missile defense systems, maritime and coastal security capabilities, border security modernization and communications upgrades from more than a dozen American defense companies.
The White House said the agreement forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader $600 billion investment commitment in the United States and “represents a significant investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense and regional security, built on American systems and training.”
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