The White House has officially approved a massive civil nuclear energy pact with Saudi Arabia. The move provides American companies unprecedented access to the kingdom and the opportunity to build commercial reactors throughout the Middle Eastern region. However, the pact has already begun to ignite a fiery conflict on Capitol Hill over nuclear safety concerns.

The 30-year deal termed a “123 Agreement” establishes a legal arrangement that allows U.S. firms to transfer billion-dollar technology to Riyadh. Further, the door has been opened for Saudi Arabia to eventually enrich uranium if a joint U.S.-Saudi study finds that it is reasonably beneficial. 

Supporters have deemed the move a significant win for American business and an ingenious move to keep up with China and Russia from becoming overly dominant over the Middle East’s energy arena. Opponents of the deal however argue that these exemptions to safety regulations might set off a nuclear arms race across the region.

International Strategy

Members of the Trump administration have doubled down on keeping Washington at the center of Saudi Arabia’s energy plans as the smartest means of making sure rules are adhered to. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to reassure worried lawmakers and allies, stating, “The U.S. is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.” 

Energy Secretary Chris Wright described the deal as a significant boost for American-based companies, highlighting that these agreements uphold the highest standards of safety and nonproliferation. Wright added that thanks to actions taken by the president, the American nuclear renaissance is in full swing and will benefit the American and Saudi people in the long-term.

Direct benefits for local energy grids have additionally been pointed to by sustainability experts. Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) observed that the multi-lateral agreement sets up the potential for Saudi Arabia to act as a primary supplier of enriched uranium to American operators, shifting the country’s reliance away from foreign supplies like Russia.

What Is Worrying Lawmakers

Despite the administration’s push, the fresh pact still faces a slew of queries in Congress. The debate ultimately boils down to two issues: Saudi Arabia continues to drag their feet in agreeing to the global “Additional Protocol” (a rulebook that empowers U.N. inspectors to take unaccounted visits to nuclear sites) and the deal provides large provisions for the Saudis to enrich uranium domestically.

In past deals, like the 2009 agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Washington demanded a “gold standard” in which the host country promised not to enrich uranium in any capacity. This requirement being dropped for Saudi Arabia has ignited strong pushback from Democrats in Congress along with nonproliferation experts. 

Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) lambasted the decision, condemning the administration for fostering a recipe for disaster with its plan to give nuclear-weapon-wannabe Saudi Arabia nuclear capability without being paired with strong safeguards. Markey has been persistent in his opinion that Congress should use its authority to outrightly reject the agreement, warning that any lesser action will risk transforming the Middle East into a nuclear Wild West and launching a devastating nuclear arms race in the region. 

Policy experts assent that these terms mark a noticeable change in how the U.S. manages these deals. Alexander Bollfrass, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, characterized the approach as a revolutionary new way to preventing nuclear spread, remarking that Washington seems eager to share sensitive tech without necessitating the usual strict inspection rules.

Next Steps

In accordance with federal law, sending the deal to Congress initiates a mandatory 90-day countdown for evaluation. Lawmakers can try to block the deal by voting against it but would need a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to override a presidential veto, meaning the deal is almost guaranteed to pass unless opponents manage to build a sizable bipartisan group against it.