Saudi Nuclear Deal to Mandate US Reactors Amid Trump Family Ties
The White House is preparing to sign a nuclear enrichment agreement with Saudi Arabia this week that mandates the use of U.S. reactor suppliers, promising major contracts for American firms but drawing intense scrutiny over the Trump family’s expanding financial ties to the kingdom.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an agreement this week allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich its own nuclear fuel. The deal mandates that the kingdom use U.S. companies to supply its reactors, opening a lucrative market for American nuclear energy providers.
Under the terms, U.S. firms would not only supply the reactors but also establish operational safeguards to limit Saudi control over the fuel cycle. This framework is intended to prevent the development of nuclear weapons while ensuring American companies secure the associated engineering and construction contracts.
The impending agreement is drawing sharp scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. Trump transferred his business interests to a trust controlled by his sons when he took office, but he retained a financial stake in his assets rather than selling them.
That financial position intersects directly with the administration's foreign policy. Since the end of his first term, Trump has entered into at least nine deals with Saudi investors, worth an estimated $50 million in 2024 alone. The Trump Organization recently announced multiple licensing agreements with Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan, spanning a hotel in the Maldives, two towers in Jeddah, and luxury residential communities in Riyadh, with announcements stretching from July 2024 to September 2025.
Lawmakers are already raising alarms about the non-proliferation terms included in the agreement. The deal reportedly grants favorable terms to Riyadh, including limitations on international nuclear inspections and potential pathways to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium.
“Congress should approve only if the deal has the same gold-standard safeguards as our deal with the UAE,” Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., said. He warned that a president “should not facilitate proliferation just because U.S. companies stand to make a profit.”
Trump is expected to submit the text to Congress for a 90-day review period. While lawmakers can issue a resolution of disapproval, blocking the agreement would require a veto-proof majority, making rejection highly unlikely.
The deal represents a shift from the previous administration. Former President Joe Biden conditioned a nuclear pact on Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel, a provision Trump abandoned to finalize the agreement.
