US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Excludes South Korea, Raises Questions About US Consistency

The US has signed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that gives American companies preferential treatment in reactor construction and technology supply. The agreement, which covers reactor construction, technology transfers, and non-proliferation safeguards, prioritizes American companies for Saudi nuclear contracts.

The deal's provision on uranium enrichment is significant, as it allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil pending a joint feasibility study. This has sparked concerns in South Korea, which had been positioning itself for Saudi projects and building its entire nuclear export identity around winning the 2009 UAE contract at Barakah.

The US-Saudi deal also includes a clause linking final approval to Saudi Arabia's normalization of relations with Israel under the framework of the Abraham Accords. This means that if the normalization piece stalls, the entire deal could stall with it.