The United States (US) and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark deal that will allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme, media reports have confirmed.
The US energy department described the agreement as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement” that will provide “great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program.”
A “bilateral safeguards agreement” was signed alongside the cooperation deal. The energy department said that “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 text of the deal has not been made public. US media have reported that it could eventually allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, which can be used as fuel for power plants and also to make nuclear bombs. Experts say that it could be a first for the US and could raise the risk of nuclear proliferation in the region.
Earlier reports had said that Saudi Arabia and the US had carried out a joint study, after which the kingdom may be permitted to enrich uranium on its own soil to produce fuel at a US-built facility, rather than import fuel from abroad. US companies could be involved in building such a facility, a deal that could be worth billions of dollars.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that “rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.”
The energy department added that the deal advances “US and regional security” and will maintain “high standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation and strengthening the United States’ competitive edge in civil nuclear technology.”
The Saudi government released its own statement, saying that the agreement “represents an extension of existing co-operation between the two countries in the energy sector.” It noted that the deal comes after the Saudi leader’s visit to Washington DC in November.
The announcement was made amidst heavy military strikes between the US and Iran continues. Saudi Arabia hosts several US military bases, which have been targeted in Iranian attacks. The deal was also signed two days after Yemen’s Houthi movement, allied with Iran, announced a “maritime blockade” against the kingdom.
