US reaches nuclear power deal with Saudi Arabia

The new agreement with Washington would let Saudi Arabia enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, both of which are potential pathways to a nuclear weapon. The UAE agreed to forgo both when it signed a similar deal with the U.S. in 2009.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and his counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the pact, known as a 123 Agreement, alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement, the U.S. Energy Department said on Wednesday.

The administration said the deal also abides by nonproliferation agreements in the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which are among the world's strongest. Saudi Arabia has long said if it does not partner with the U.S. it could partner with China or Russia, which have different proliferation standards.

The IAEA has not yet commented on the U.S. announcement.

The energy department said the deal now goes to Congress. Unless Congress raises votes to object to the deal within 90 session days, the deal will go into force. But it would need to have a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto.