How Will Saudi Nuclear Deal Transform US-China Rivalry in the Middle East?

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The US and Saudi Arabia have reached a landmark civil nuclear agreement that could reshape both Middle East security and great-power competition. The proposed 30-year deal would allow US companies to build Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear infrastructure while opening a pathway to US-built uranium enrichment under bilateral safeguards rather than the International Atomic Energy Agency’s full “Additional Protocol”. Is the deal a strategic victory for the United States — or a risky precedent that could accelerate nuclear competition in the Middle East? In this episode, we examine the details of the agreement, the regional implications, the US–China rivalry and what it could mean for the broader international nuclear order. *Recorded on July 30, 2026 at 2pm Taiwan Standard Time Host: Wen-Ti Sung Producer: Suvam Pal Videographer: Celest Kao Our guests: Mor Sobol - Tamkang University Diplomacy and International Relations Associate Professor Mukesh Kaushik - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taiwan Fellow

International Analysis