U.S. signs nuclear power agreement with Saudi Arabia
US President Donald Trump (right) meets with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (2nd-left) at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on November 18, 2025.
Win McNamee | Getty Images
The United States signed a deal with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to develop a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom.
The Energy Department said the agreement would form the legal basis for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership. This will give US companies access to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program and increase exports of American technology in the sector, the ministry said.
Energy Minister Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also signed a bilateral agreement on nuclear safeguards.
Wright said the agreement would uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation while relying on the “world’s best nuclear technology and scientists” in the United States.
The ministry said the agreement will be submitted to Congress for review. U.S. cooperation with foreign countries on civilian nuclear energy requires such scrutiny. Atomic Energy Act.
Westinghouse CEO Dan Sumner called the deal a “landmark step.” Westinghouse is the developer of a large reactor called the AP1000, seen as a key technology in expanding nuclear power.
This will strengthen energy security and expand opportunities for U.S. industry, Sumner told CNBC. Westinghouse is owned by a Canadian uranium miner cameco And BrookfieldA major investor in energy infrastructure.
Agreement Westinghouse, Bechtel, BWXT, Centre Jonathan Hinze, president of UxC, which provides information on the nuclear fuel market, said he and other companies would sell sensitive nuclear equipment to the Saudis.
“Without this type of nuclear trade agreement, U.S. nuclear companies would be left out of the market,” Hinze said. “The Saudis will probably prefer nuclear technology and materials from other countries such as France, Russia or China.”
Saudi Arabia currently produces almost all of its domestic energy from fossil fuels. According to the report, approximately 60 percent of its electricity is provided by natural gas and 40 percent by oil. International Energy Agency.
It is OPEC’s largest oil producer.
The Saudi-US deal comes as Washington bombs Iran in an attempt to force Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
