US President Donald Trump has approved a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to develop uranium enrichment capabilities for its civilian nuclear programme, according to two people familiar with the decision.The sources quoted by Wall Street Journal, said it could be unveiled as early as Wednesday.The 30-year agreement is expected to involve US companies in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme. It could also pave the way for the construction of a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom following a joint US-Saudi feasibility study.The agreement between the MAGA leader and the Islamic kingdom comes after months of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with much of President Donald Trump’s fury focused on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.Both President Trump and former President Joe Biden sought to strike a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that would allow the kingdom to access US nuclear technology.However, non-proliferation experts have warned that permitting uranium enrichment inside Saudi Arabia could eventually give the kingdom the capability to pursue a nuclear weapons programme. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously indicated that Riyadh would seek nuclear weapons if Iran were to acquire an atomic bomb.Security concerns have also intensified in the region. Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan recently signed a mutual defence pact after Israel carried out strikes in Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan’s defence minister later said Islamabad’s nuclear programme “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if required, a statement widely interpreted as a warning to Israel, which is widely believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.While uranium enrichment alone does not enable a country to build a nuclear weapon, it must also develop several other complex technologies, including sophisticated explosives and weaponisation systems—it significantly lowers the technical barrier. That is why Western countries have long viewed Iran’s enrichment programme with concern.In contrast, the United Arab Emirates signed a so-called “123 Agreement” with the United States to develop its Barakah nuclear power plant, built with South Korean assistance, without pursuing domestic uranium enrichment. Non-proliferation experts have often cited the UAE model as the “gold standard” for countries seeking civilian nuclear energy without raising proliferation risks.
