Saudis won’t prolif.
Lippman 18 Thomas W. Lippman, adjunct senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, an award-winning author and journalist with 30+ years specializing in Saudi Arabian affairs, U.S.- Saudi relations, and relations between the West and Islam. [Does Saudi Arabia Intend to Develop a Nuclear Weapons Capability? 3-8-2018, https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/75723]
In reality, Saudi Arabia is highly unlikely to seek nuclear weapons, no matter what becomes of Iran’s nuclear program, because the negative consequences of doing so would far outweigh any conceivable strategic gain. The kingdom, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has tied its future to full integration with the global economic and industrial system. It cannot afford the international ostracism that nuclear proliferation would bring. Moreover, the Saudis know that they have few friends in the U.S. Congress. Any sign that the kingdom was moving toward nuclear weapons would end U.S. arms sales and terminate the strategic relationship that has long ensured the kingdom’s security.