US and Saudi Arabia Sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Pact

#GS-3 #Science & Technology #Energy #Current Events #International #US-Saudi 123 Agreement #Nuclear Cooperation

Why in News

The **United States** and **Saudi Arabia** recently signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation agreement known as the **123 Agreement**, alongside a bilateral safeguards framework.

This deal operates under **Section 123** of the **US Atomic Energy Act of 1954**, creating the legal basis required for the **United States** to share nuclear reactors, fuel, and technology with another nation for peaceful purposes.

On the American side, **US Energy Secretary Chris Wright** signed the deal under the administration of **President Donald Trump**.
On the Saudi side, **Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman** signed the document with full backing from **Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman**.

The pact aims to help **Saudi Arabia** reduce its reliance on crude oil by generating clean nuclear electricity for domestic cooling and water desalination plants.

Past discussions hit a roadblock because the **United States** insisted on the **Gold Standard** to ban domestic uranium enrichment, while also demanding normalized relations with **Israel**.
The approach changed in **2026** by dropping the condition regarding **Israel** and offering flexibility for American-backed domestic uranium enrichment.

The pact allows private companies from the **United States** to supply civil nuclear reactors, key components, and technical know-how directly to **Saudi Arabia**.
It grants **Saudi Arabia** the option to enrich uranium within American-built facilities under mutually agreed conditions.
It establishes a bilateral monitoring process to verify that nuclear material is never diverted toward military weapons.
It does not require **Saudi Arabia** to sign the **IAEA Additional Protocol**, avoiding intrusive on-site inspections.
The pact must undergo a mandatory review lasting **90 legislative days** within the **US Congress** before coming into force.

Allowing domestic uranium enrichment could raise proliferation fears across the region and potentially trigger a nuclear arms race.
The deal firmly establishes American influence in the energy grid of **Saudi Arabia** while keeping competing options from **Russia** and **China** at bay.