Exclusive | Trump Sends Nuclear Agreement With Saudi Arabia to Congress

President Donald Trump has submitted a landmark 30-year civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, maintaining his strict condition that the kingdom must normalize diplomatic relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords before the pact can take effect.

The proposed accord, which was reached in July following negotiations, allows U.S. companies to export civilian nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The administration formally transmitted the package to lawmakers on a Monday, setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious review period on Capitol Hill.

Congressional Review Timeline and the Normalization Mandate

Under legislative guidelines, Congress has 90 session days to consider the civil nuclear agreement. However, administration officials have emphasized that sending the text to Capitol Hill is a procedural step that does not alter White House prerequisites.

“The president’s position has not changed that the agreement will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords,”

U.S. administration official, via Reuters

The administration continues to link the civil nuclear pact directly to the diplomatic framework established in 2020 and 2021 between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

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Reactor Construction Plans and Industry Stakes

The 30-year bilateral agreement centers on the construction of AP1000 reactors inside Saudi Arabia. The multi-decade project carries an estimated value of tens of billions of dollars and is positioned to benefit Westinghouse, a nuclear energy firm jointly owned by Canada-based Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.

Financial analysts note that broader global interest in atomic energy—driven by power demands from artificial intelligence data centers and decarbonization goals—has bolstered the sector. Exchange-traded funds tracking uranium mining and nuclear infrastructure, such as the Global X Uranium ETF and the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF, reflect growing commercial interest in the sector’s long-term outlook.

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Proliferation Concerns and the Uranium Enrichment Debate

Unlike previous U.S. regional agreements—such as a 2009 pact with the United Arab Emirates that explicitly required the UAE to foreswear domestic uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing—the terms arranged for Saudi Arabia permit in-country enrichment under specific conditions.

Photo: Usnews

Administration officials maintain that U.S. companies would construct a restricted-access enrichment facility on Saudi soil only if a joint commercial study justifies the move. The framework dictates that U.S. involvement would rely on a classified “black box” operational model designed to maintain oversight and prevent military application.

Under the terms of the agreement, if Washington opposes enrichment following the completion of the joint study, Saudi Arabia would be legally prohibited from pursuing independent enrichment or partnering with another foreign nation for a period of 10 years.

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Regional Geopolitics and Diplomatic Hurdles

Critics and regional observers have raised concerns that the agreement departs from traditional non-proliferation benchmarks, noting that Saudi Arabia is not currently required to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol for unannounced inspections. Regional security analysts warn that the arrangement could prompt competitive nuclear ambitions across the Middle East, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s standing rivalry with Iran.

Photo: The Jerusalem Post

At the same time, diplomatic progress remains anchored to broader Middle Eastern peace efforts. While the U.S. administration presses for formal recognition of Israel, Riyadh has maintained that any normalization of ties must be preceded by an irreversible pathway toward a Palestinian state, leaving the final implementation of the nuclear pact subject to high-stakes diplomacy in both Washington and the Middle East.