Saudi nuclear deal delivers strategic economic prizes as Trump boosts Gulf allies

The Trump administration is poised to deliver Saudi Arabia one of its most coveted strategic prizes: A long-awaited civilian nuclear cooperation agreement that accelerates the kingdom’s national ambitions, bolsters American industry and further cements Washington’s influence in the Gulf.

The Wall Street Journal first reported late Tuesday that US President Donald Trump had formally approved a landmark 30-year agreement that is expected to soon be submitted to Congress for review, paving the way for American companies to help develop Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program.

While details haven’t yet been announced as of this writing, the deal reportedly leaves open a pathway toward uranium enrichment inside the kingdom under US oversight. That provision is guaranteed to draw scrutiny from lawmakers, non-proliferation experts and governments across the Middle East, including Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the latter home to the Arab world’s only operational commercial nuclear power plant.

Beyond technical details, however, the agreement reflects a broader focus of the White House’s Gulf strategy. Rather than tying civilian nuclear cooperation to normalization with Israel, as past US-Saudi talks had centered on, Trump appears increasingly willing to pursue strategic commercial interests on their own terms.