U.S.-Saudi “123 Agreement” Signed

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia sign the “123 Agreement,” a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement. The deal is reported as a 30-year multi-billion-dollar arrangement linked to conditions on Saudi Arabia’s ties with Israel and participation in the Abraham Accords.

U.S.-Saudi “123 Agreement” (Civil Nuclear Cooperation):

Dimension	Key Details
Agreement package	Comprises a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement.
Legal basis (U.S.)	Established under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 of the USA.
Framework nature	Provides for a legal framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the United States and another country.
Duration and scale	Applies to a 30-year multi-billion-dollar deal.
Transfers enabled	Authorises the transfer of civil nuclear materials, technology, and equipment from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia.
Uranium enrichment provision	Authorises uranium enrichment on Saudi soil to produce fuel at a US-built enrichment facility, instead of relying on imported fuel.
Condition for Saudi Arabia	Mandates that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords and normalise ties with Israel, or else the deal is off.
Participation clause	Provides for exclusive participation for American companies, including Westinghouse, to construct Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure.
Exclusion: “Gold Standard” safeguard package	The reported agreement does not comprise the “Gold Standard” safeguard package.
“Gold Standard” safeguard package	Usually mandates a bar on uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing in the partner country.
Exclusion: IAEA Additional Protocol	The deal does not comprise the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency.