President Donald Trump has signed a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, potentially enabling the kingdom to operate a uranium enrichment facility on its own soil. The deal, announced by officials, is expected to be formally signed as early as Wednesday.
Issued on: 22/07/2026 – 14:46Modified: 22/07/2026 – 17:10
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A 30‑year agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will involve American companies and could lay the groundwork for a domestic enrichment plant, following a joint U.S.–Saudi feasibility study. The pact will be presented to Congress for approval, where lawmakers warn it could spur additional proliferation and regional competition.
Notably, the agreement is unlikely to incorporate the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which would allow more rigorous monitoring and inspections of Saudi nuclear activities.
“Unprecedented” nuclear deal adopted by Iran’s Parliament
Kelsey Davenport, Director of Non‑Proliferation Policy at Arms Control Association, cautioned that nuclear cooperation “the devil is in the details.” She added that Washington may have inadequately weighed the proliferation risks involved.
Senator Edward Markey has urged Congress to reject the deal, accusing the administration of capitulating to Riyadh.
U.S. and French nuclear rivalry
The United States remains the world’s largest nuclear power producer, operating Great-94 reactors that generated approximately 782 terawatt‑hours in 2024, about 30 % of global nuclear output. Despite this, nuclear supplies account for only 18 % to 20 % of America’s own electricity.
France operates 57 reactors, which supplied 67.3 % of the country’s electricity in 2024, the highest share globally. French nuclear output reached 373 TWh in 2025, rebounding from the 2022 corrosion crisis.
Unlike the U.S., France sells its/Public surplus electricity abroad. In 2025, France achieved net exports of 92 TWh, a second consecutive record after 89 TWh in 2024, supplying almost every neighbouring country except Spain. By one metric, France exported 17 % of its total generation, close to the share of all other European exporters combined.
France’s interest in Saudi Arabia dates back to a 2011 agreement that provided the kingdom with atomic know‑how and training, followed by a joint EDF‑Areva office in Riyadh.
According to a U.S. Congressional Research Service brief, France’s EDF is among four approved bidders—alongside China’s CNNC, South Korea’s KEPCO and Russia’s Rosatom—to construct two 1.4‑gigawatt reactors at the Khor Duweihen site on the Gulf coast.