by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday in Riyadh that the U.S. is close to a landmark energy deal with Saudi Arabia to develop its civil nuclear industry, with a preliminary agreement expected soon.
Wright confirmed that the U.S. plans to sign a broad energy cooperation agreement within weeks, with a nuclear deal expected in the coming months.
“I think in the short run, we’ll sign a broader agreement about cooperation across the energy space, in partnerships, in investments, in investigations. Nuclear is certainly one of those areas,” Wright told Al-Arabiya News.
“To get a specific agreement to partner on commercial nuclear development in Saudi Arabia, that’ll take a little bit longer, that’ll be months, not weeks, but you’re gonna get there. I think it’s likely,” he added.
Wright noted that Saudi Arabia has yet to accept the non-proliferation conditions required under the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which includes nine safeguards to prevent nuclear weapons development or material transfer.
“For a U.S. partnership and involvement in nuclear here, there will definitely be a 123 agreement … there’s lots of ways to structure a deal that will accomplish both the Saudi objectives and the American objectives,” he said.
A 123 agreement with Riyadh refers to Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which is required for the U.S. government and American companies to collaborate with Saudi entities on developing a civil nuclear industry.
In the past, talks had stalled over Riyadh’s refusal to rule out uranium enrichment or fuel reprocessing—key steps toward a bomb.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would pursue one as well, raising concerns among arms control advocates and some U.S. lawmakers about a potential civil nuclear deal.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Nigerian church group has denied army claims that troops rescued dozens of Christians abducted during a deadly Easter attack, as conflicting reports emerged about the number of victims in northwestern Kaduna State.
Ukraine says a barrage of Russian drone attacks has killed at least four people and injured many others, casting a shadow over Easter celebrations in the war-torn country.
Hungary says it has rushed troops to protect its section of a natural gas pipeline after the government accused Ukraine of attempting to sabotage it ahead of Tuesday’s arrival of U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Budapest.
U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a unified message from key Middle Eastern allies: there will be no ceasefire in the ongoing conflict unless the Iranian threat is fully dismantled.
A federal judge in Texas has rejected a proposed agreement between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and several Christian ministries that would have limited enforcement of restrictions on political speech from the pulpit—marking a significant moment in the ongoing debate over religious liberty and free expression.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that Iowa may enforce its law restricting LGBT-related instruction in classrooms and limiting sexually explicit materials in school libraries, marking a significant legal victory for parental rights and local control of education.
In a historic milestone for human space exploration, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission has surpassed the distance record set during the ill-fated yet heroic Apollo 13 mission more than five decades ago.