The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark deal that will reportedly allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme, the BBC reports.
The deal is described as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement” that will provide “great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program”, according to the US energy department.
Text from the deal was not made public, but US media have reported that it could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future – which can be used as fuel for power plants, but also to make nuclear bombs.
Experts say that would mark a first for the US and could run the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.
The US Department of Energy noted that along with the co-operation deal, a “bilateral safeguards agreement” was also signed.
“Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation,” the statement reads.
The Saudi government also released a statement, saying the deal “represents an extension of existing co-operation between the two countries in the energy sector”, and noted that it comes after the Saudi leader visited Washington last November.
