Saudi Arabia enters nuclear plant negotiations with China amid dissuasive US offer

Saudi Arabia is reviewing a bid by China for the construction of a nuclear plant in the kingdom.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, referring to Saudi officials familiar with the matter, this move could be interpreted as an attempt to pressure the Biden administration to rethink the conditions Saudi Arabia was given for American assistance in the kingdom's quest for nuclear power.

The publication recalls that the US informed the Saudi administration, that American nuclear aid is contingent on the Saudis agreeing to not enrich their own uranium or mine their own uranium deposits. China, on the other hand, does not apply such conditions as it is seeking to strengthen its influence in the Middle East.

According to the Saudi source, the Chinese state-owned "China National Nuclear Corp." bid oversees the construction of a nuclear plant in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, near the border with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He states, however, that Riyadh would prefer to work with South Korea’s Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco), to build the plant’s reactors and involve American operational expertise, yet without the stated US conditions.

Saudi Arabia has asked the US to help it develop a civilian nuclear program as part of a potential deal that would include diplomatic normalization with Israel, which Riyadh doesn’t recognize. Saudi Arabia is also asking the US to provide security guarantees for the kingdom as part of such a deal.

The WSJ source believes, that the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is prepared to move ahead with the Chinese company soon should there be no advancement in US talks.