US and Saudi Arabia reach nuclear cooperation agreement

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — The United States and Saudi Arabia have concluded a nuclear cooperation agreement under which American companies would operate nuclear energy facilities in the kingdom, according to CBS. Officials said the facilities would be used for civilian purposes, including supporting artificial intelligence data centers and expanding the country's energy capacity. The deal follows civil nuclear negotiations that began under former US President Joe Biden and were linked to the normalization track between Saudi Arabia and Israel. In November, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart announced that the civil nuclear talks had been concluded and that American nuclear technology could be transferred to Saudi Arabia. The agreement marks a concrete step in the long-running effort to define the terms under which US firms would participate in Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program, a question tied to broader discussions on regional normalization and energy cooperation. Further details on the timing of implementation and the companies involved were not immediately disclosed.