The Trump administration announced a major civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after decades of on-and-off conversations between the country and the Obama, Biden and Trump White Houses.
The Department of Energy confirmed in a press release that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed two agreements that would allow private American nuclear companies to export to the Saudi market.
It would represent “a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership” whereby private U.S. nuclear companies can help develop a civilian nuclear power program in the Middle Eastern kingdom, the DOE release said.
“These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,” Wright said in a statement. “Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.”
