Sun Apr 13 12:47:34 UTC 2025: ## US and Saudi Arabia inch closer to civil nuclear cooperation deal
**RIYADH, April 13, 2025** – The United States and Saudi Arabia are on the verge of a preliminary agreement to cooperate on the development of a Saudi civil nuclear program, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Sunday. While a formal agreement is still pending, Secretary Wright confirmed that both nations are working towards a mutually beneficial deal.
The agreement will likely take the form of a 123 agreement, under Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This agreement is crucial for enabling U.S. government and private sector participation in the Saudi nuclear project. However, Secretary Wright acknowledged that Saudi Arabia has yet to fully accept all nine non-proliferation criteria stipulated by the act, designed to prevent the technology from being used to develop nuclear weapons.
Previous negotiations stalled due to Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to rule out uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, both potential pathways to nuclear weapons development. This concern stems from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s public statement that Saudi Arabia would develop nuclear weapons if Iran did.
This preliminary agreement does not encompass the broader arrangement sought by the previous Biden administration, which included security guarantees and aimed to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of nuclear energy is part of Vision 2030, a reform plan aiming to diversify the kingdom’s energy sources and reduce carbon emissions.
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