WASHINGTON, July 22 — US President Donald Trump has formally approved a landmark civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, paving the way for American firms to assist the kingdom in developing its civilian nuclear programme.
Citing US officials, The Wall Street Journal reported that the strategic agreement, spanning 30 years, is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars.
The deal is structurally designed to guarantee American companies a central role in constructing and managing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure, while effectively shutting out competing foreign state vendors.
Under a key provision of the proposed pact, American enterprises could build a uranium enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia, subject to a joint review by Washington and Riyadh determining that the move is justified.
Trump administration officials highlighted that the agreement will establish a framework allowing the United States to actively monitor Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions, which they argue will prevent the civilian programme from being diverted toward weapons development.
The agreement is expected to be formally submitted to the US Congress for legislative review in the coming days. However, the proposal is anticipated to face significant resistance from lawmakers apprehensive about expanding nuclear capabilities across an already unstable West Asia.
-NMT
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