Saudi Arabia - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Nuclear policy and outlook
In July 2017, the Saudi government approved the establishment of the Saudi National Atomic Energy Project (SNAEP) as part of its 'Vision 2030' plan. A key development of the SNAEP was the establishment in February 2022 of the Saudi Nuclear Energy Holding Company (SNEHC) to act as the developer of the country's national nuclear energy programme.
The issue of reactor procurement remains unresolved. The Duwaiheen Nuclear Energy Company (DNEC) holds a site licence granted in March 2023 and has sought bids for two reactors of about 1.4 GWe each, with Chinese, French, South Korean and Russian companies as approved bidders. Bid deadlines have been postponed repeatedly since the tender was launched in 2022. Westinghouse was not invited to bid because no nuclear cooperation agreement with the USA existed at the time.
In November 2025, the US and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement that the US described it as the legal foundation for a long-term partnership in which US companies would be Saudi Arabia's preferred civil nuclear partners. In July 2026, the USA and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear cooperation '123 agreement' – subject to Congressional review – as well as an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement.
Table Sa.1 Contributions to total capacity projection in 2050 (gross)
| 60 year operation (MWe) | 80 year operation (MWe) | Currently under construction capacity (MWe) | Planned capacity (MWe) | Proposed capacity (MWe) | Potential capacity (MWe) | Government capacity target (MWe) | Additional capacity* required to meet government target (MWe) | Total capacity (MWe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | 2800 | - | - | - | 2800 |
| *Capacity additional to operable, under construction, planned, proposed and potential capacities required to meet the government target. | ||||||||
Readiness Assessment
Saudi Arabia has a licensed site, a dedicated regulator and developer, and a 123 agreement with the USA, signed July 2026 but under Congressional review, that opens a route to US technology. However, the Duwaiheen tender still has no vendor selected or contract awarded after more than four years.
| Country Category | Candidate |
|---|---|
| Policy Framework Readiness | Low-Moderate Sustained national commitment and a defined programme for a first large nuclear plant. If the 123 agreement passes US Congress, it would resolve the long-running US cooperation question and open a route to US technology. The programme has nevertheless experienced repeated procurement delays and some important fuel cycle and international cooperation questions remain unresolved. |
| Institutional & Infrastructure Readiness | Moderate Saudi Arabia has a dedicated nuclear regulatory authority, designated owner/operator (DNEC), an IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreement and substantial human capability development. |
| Programme & Project Development Readiness | Moderate The Duwaiheen site is licensed, DNEC is established and the tender has four approved bidders, but the competition is now more than four years old. |
| Target Achievability | Moderate First nuclear generation by around 2036 remains possible only with rapid vendor selection, procurement and execution. |