The move comes as the United States under US President Donald Trump fights a war with Iran that began in part over US concerns with Tehran’s nuclear programme – an issue that remains a key point of contention during now-stalled talks between the two foes.
The deals were signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the US Energy Department said.
“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 non-proliferation,” the department said in a statement.
A provision in the deal would potentially see US companies build a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported. The energy department statement made no mention of such a provision, and the department did not offer comment when asked about it.
The deal will be submitted to Congress for review, but the Republican-controlled legislature is unlikely to be able to hold up its implementation.
US lawmakers from both parties and Israeli officials have voiced opposition to a civilian nuclear project for Saudi Arabia over fears it could be converted to eventually develop nuclear weapons.
Saudi Arabia, like Tehran, has long been adamant about its right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme. Last year it signed a mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Washington has sought in recent years to include any deal concerning a nuclear agreement in a wider strategic play that would see Saudi Arabia normalise ties with Israel, along with the signing of a US defence pact.
The United States signed a nuclear agreement with the kingdom’s neighbour the United Arab Emirates in 2009, although the country does not enrich its own uranium.
A drone struck a generator in May near the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, the Arab world’s only such facility, causing a fire.
Policymakers have long feared that if Iran produced a nuclear weapon, the move would set off an arms race across the Gulf.
Speaking in Manila before the deal was formally announced, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed fears it could lead to nuclear proliferation.
“Suffice it to say, the US is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
With renewed fighting between the United States and Iran, fears are growing that the war risks further destabilising the region. (AFP)
