WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has approved a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could open the door for the kingdom to enrich uranium as part of a civilian energy program, according to two individuals with knowledge of the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.
The sources say a formal announcement could come as early as Wednesday. The agreement is expected to run for 30 years and would bring U.S. companies into the process of developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear capabilities. Under the deal, a uranium enrichment facility could be built inside Saudi Arabia following a joint study conducted by both countries.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment as of the time of this report. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the agreement.
Both Trump and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, had previously pursued nuclear cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia involving American technology.
However, experts who study nuclear nonproliferation are sounding the alarm. They warn that operating uranium enrichment centrifuges within Saudi Arabia’s borders could lay the groundwork for a potential weapons program. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has previously suggested the kingdom might pursue nuclear weapons if Iran were to successfully develop an atomic bomb.
Adding to regional tensions, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan recently signed a mutual defense agreement after Israel carried out an attack on Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan’s defense minister subsequently stated that his country’s nuclear capabilities “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if the need arises — a statement widely interpreted as a warning directed at Israel, which is broadly believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East.
It’s worth noting that uranium enrichment alone does not automatically lead to nuclear weapons. A country would also need to develop other complex technologies, such as the use of synchronized high explosives. Still, enrichment capability does create a pathway toward weaponization — which is at the heart of longstanding Western concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities.
By contrast, the United Arab Emirates pursued a different path when it built its Barakah nuclear power plant with South Korean help. The UAE entered into what is known as a “123 agreement” with the United States but agreed not to seek enrichment capabilities — an approach that nonproliferation experts have described as the “gold standard” for countries pursuing peaceful nuclear energy.
