The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, known as a 123 agreement, alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement, laying the legal groundwork for a long-term partnership in nuclear energy.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the deal, which the US Department of Energy said would give American companies expanded access to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy programme.
“These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad. 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. Thanks to President Trump, the American nuclear renaissance is underway and will deliver long-term benefits to the American and Saudi people,” Wright said in a statment.
The 123 agreement takes its name from Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which governs civil nuclear cooperation between the United States and foreign nations.
Such agreements set the terms under which American technology, materials, and expertise can be shared, and require recipients to meet nonproliferation commitments.
The deal ties into an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing the expansion of American nuclear exports and international partnerships. The administration has framed the agreement as part of a broader effort to reassert US competitiveness in the global civil nuclear market.
The agreement will now be transmitted to Congress for review.
