To add details, quotes, and background

By Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - The Trump administration plans to submit to Congress in the coming days an agreement to share nuclear energy technology with Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters. The agreement does not include the safeguards that the United States has said would prevent the materials from being used in nuclear weapons programs.

The two sources explained that the administration will submit to Congress a document known as the "Section 123 Agreement," signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

The two sides had signed a preliminary agreement in Riyadh last year.

The White House and the U.S. Department of Energy have not yet responded to requests for comment.

The agreement refers to Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which obliges the U.S. government and companies to cooperate with entities in Saudi Arabia to develop a multibillion-dollar civilian nuclear industry.

Sources familiar with the agreement said it does not include the "gold standard" that would prevent the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, two potential pathways to producing nuclear weapons.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could discuss sensitive issues, noted that the agreement also does not include the "Additional Protocol," which grants the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency broader and more comprehensive oversight powers over nuclear activities in any country, such as the authority to conduct surprise inspections at undeclared sites.

One source said the administration would submit the agreement to Congress on Wednesday, while another said it would be submitted within about a week. A third source, who did not specify whether the agreement lacked safeguards, said it would be submitted soon.

Wright had said that the preliminary agreement did not concern uranium enrichment, and that it included all the non-proliferation standards contained in the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which is among the strongest in the world.

One source explained that the agreement provides a legal pathway for cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium enrichment, but does not obligate the United States to transfer any related capabilities or technologies to Saudi Arabia.

Nuclear proliferation concerns

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly stated that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, the kingdom will do the same, raising concerns among arms control advocates and US lawmakers about the civilian nuclear agreement.

Prince Mohammed told CBS in 2018, "Saudi Arabia does not want to possess nuclear weapons, but if Iran develops an atomic bomb, we will do the same as quickly as possible, without a doubt."

The kingdom also affirmed its desire to retain the right to enrich uranium.

The UAE agreed to the "gold standard" in 2009 by signing the "Article 123 Agreement" with Washington.

Once the Article 123 agreements are submitted to Congress, they are subject to a review period of continuous sessions that lasts for about 90 days, so that lawmakers can object to them, otherwise they go into effect.

In order to block the agreement, Congress would have to pass joint legislation and obtain a two-thirds majority to override any presidential veto.

Many Democrats and some Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he was a senator, insisted that any agreement include safeguards.