Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions

Posted: 2nd August 2026

How Trump’s Saudi deal could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Riyadh has previously said it will only seek to acquire a nuclear weapon if its rival Iran develops one. With Trump’s war failing to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme, experts tell Suha Kidwai the new agreement could plunge the region into further instability.

Independent 1st Aug 2026

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/trump-saudi-deal-nuclear-arms-race-middle-east-b3022889.html

Does Saudi Arabia want to develop nuclear weapons? Here’s what history can tell us. A range of historical factors have discouraged nuclear proliferation in Saudi Arabia, but this has changed over the last decade with the rise of two leaders: Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, who came to the throne in 2015, and US President Donald Trump – both in his first term from 2016 to 2020, and during his second term and ongoing war against Iran. In 2010, I wrote a chapter entitled “Saudi Petro-Nukes?
Riyadh’s Nuclear Intentions and Regime Survival Strategies”. In it, I argued that, historically, Saudi Arabia had signalled no interest in a civilian nuclear program, let alone the possibility of developing a nuclear weapons program. This was because of two major factors: US pressure, and Saudi Arabia’s position in the world economy.

The Conversation 1st Aug 2026

https://theconversation.com/does-saudi-arabia-want-to-develop-nuclear-weapons-heres-what-history-can-tell-us-288418