The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to signing a preliminary agreement to cooperate on the kingdom’s civil nuclear industry. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that Riyadh and Washington are on a “pathway” to an agreement, which would permit cooperation between the two countries.
Wright met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman earlier in Riyadh as part of a tour of energy-producing Gulf states. He stated that further details about the energy cooperation memorandum will be released later this year.
A civil nuclear industry is seen as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform plan, aiming to reduce emissions and generate substantial renewable energy. The U.S. has been seeking a wider arrangement with the kingdom, which includes security guarantees and a potential civil nuclear agreement.
However, progress on previous discussions was hindered by Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to sign a deal that would limit its ability to enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel. Arms control advocates have raised concerns about this stance, particularly given Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s statement that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit.
Wright did not mention a potential wider arrangement with the kingdom, which was previously discussed by the Biden administration as part of efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/saudi-arabia-us-pathway-civil-nuclear-agreement-us-energy-secretary-says-2025-04-13