Saudi Arabia and USA
A deal that could change everything
Updated on July 23, 2026 – 01:31 amReading time: 4 minutes
Donald Trump concludes a far-reaching nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi rulers are worried about their influence in the region – and are openly threatening the worst case scenario.
So now it’s official: US President Trump’s government is helping Saudi Arabia in the process of becoming a nuclear power. The energy ministers of both countries, Chris Wright and Abdulasis bin Salman, signed in Washington a corresponding agreement, as the US Department of Energy announced. The US Ministry has not yet published the exact content. With the contract they want USA Help Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman set up a civilian nuclear program in his country. However, experts warn that in the course of using nuclear energy, the Sunni monarchy could also obtain weapons-grade material and at some point produce its own nuclear weapons.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the contract between the USA and Saudi Arabia will last for 30 years and will grant US companies exclusive access to the nuclear program. This would mean a central role for the US economy in building up nuclear technology in the Kingdom. The value of the contract that Trump has now reached with the Wahhabi rulers is said to be in the high double-digit billion range.
Trump let himself be talked out of the “gold standard.”
US Energy Secretary Wright emphasized that the agreement meets the highest standards and also includes no proliferation of nuclear weapons. The agreement will now be submitted to the US Parliament for consideration. The MPs have 90 days to accept it – or not. In fact, there may be resistance to the treaty. In particular, many Democratic members of the US Congress reject the expansion of nuclear technology in the politically unstable Middle East – especially in the current US war with Saudi Arabia’s long-time rival Iran.
Also Israel repeatedly raised concerns about the collaboration. The Netanyahu government fears that the development of a civilian nuclear program could be used by Riyadh to develop nuclear weapons. However, the Saudi Arabian crown prince makes no secret of the fact that he would not limit the civilian use of the nuclear material if necessary.
It was also initially unclear to what extent international inspectors would be able to gain access to the planned locations in Saudi Arabia. As the “WSJ” reports, the so-called additional protocol is said to be missing from the contract. This allows inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unrestricted access to all nuclear facilities.
Such a protocol ensures that a country does not build an infrastructure for military use of nuclear material – as Iran has done in recent years. This was precisely one of the reasons for the Trump administration and Israel to attack Iran last year and to launch a war against the regime in Tehran in February of this year that has continued until now.
Saudis have security policy interests
The Additional Protocol is considered by experts to be the “gold standard” for the security of civil nuclear programs. However, it is precisely this document that Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman is said to have rejected in negotiations with Trump, as US media reports. Nevertheless, the US President ultimately agreed to the deal because he did not want to miss out on the billions in benefits for the US economy.
