The overlooked AI aspect of the US-Bahrain nuclear co-operation deal

The artificial intelligence boom was the primary driver of a recently signed nuclear energy agreement between Bahrain and the US, according to a Middle East technology expert.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani signed on Wednesday a civil nuclear co-operation agreement − and a major part of the deal involves a commitment to the development of small modular reactors.

“This deal positions Bahrain to become an emerging AI power, leveraging SMR inroads and its legacy as one of the Gulf’s earliest technology pioneers,” said Mohammed Soliman, director of the strategic technology programme at the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank.

Over the past decade, as the AI boom has placed strain on energy grids, enthusiasm for SMRs − compact and versatile reactors that can be built and put on line at a quicker pace than conventional nuclear reactors − has increased significantly.

Mr Soliman said that while most media coverage of the nuclear co-operation agreement framed it in the context of energy diversification, the bigger story was broader technological and industrial pivot throughout the Arabian Gulf.

“Energy is about enabling sovereign AI systems and digital exports,” he said. “That shift from oil to AI is what gives this announcement its strategic weight.”

While there has been a significant surge in SMR research and commitments from various entities in the public and private sectors around the world, most are still in the lengthy regulatory review and licensing stage.

However, Mr Soliman said that SMRs are finally ready to come to fruition, and could have significant presence throughout the Middle East.

“The technology has matured considerably, especially with new reactor designs and private-sector players accelerating deployment,” he said.

Governments throughout the Middle East, he added, have an appetite for placing long-term infrastructure bets and have centralised planning that make the region “one of the most likely where SMRs can reach meaningful scale”.

The infrastructure of the data centres that power AI takes more energy than conventional computing.

Most estimates show that a query to ChatGPT uses 10 times more energy than a similar search on Google.

In the US, the need to plug the energy gap created by AI has spurred renewed interest and public support for nuclear reactors.

That pattern of nuclear enthusiasm has been echoed in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, where several countries are hoping to play a major role in AI development.

“This Nuclear Co-operation Memorandum of Understanding represents an important step towards deepening a robust civil nuclear partnership between the US and Bahrain,” said Ann Ganzer, US deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation.

She added that the agreement builds on both countries' collaboration through something called First – the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology.

Mr Al Zayani echoed those sentiments, saying that the country looks forward to the learning from the US's “world-leading technology and expertise in this field”.

“There is no doubt that co-operation on nuclear technology will be a vital contributor to our shared responsibility and prosperity in the years ahead,” he added.