US and Saudi Arabia reach nuclear power commercial deal, CBS reports

The United States and Saudi Arabia have reached a commercial agreement that would put American companies in charge of running nuclear power for the kingdom on Saudi soil, CBS News reported, citing a regional official familiar with the arrangement.

The deal is expected to be signed Wednesday at about 1:30 p.m., according to the report. CBS News said the arrangement would involve U.S. companies operating nuclear power in Saudi Arabia for the country’s own use.

The agreement is commercial, rather than a direct handover of nuclear power to the Saudi government, CBS News reported. The companies involved have not been publicly identified.

What the agreement would cover

Under the reported arrangement, U.S. firms would run nuclear power inside Saudi Arabia. CBS News said the power could be used for purposes such as supporting artificial intelligence data centers.

The report also said the deal may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich its own fuel for nuclear reactors. No further terms on enrichment, oversight or limits were disclosed in the report.

Although the arrangement is described as a private-sector deal, CBS News reported that Congress would need to be consulted.

Companies not yet named

The corporations that would take part in the agreement have not been disclosed. CBS News did not report which U.S. companies would operate under the deal or what specific nuclear power assets would be involved.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report the nuclear agreement, according to CBS News.

The reported deal comes as Saudi Arabia looks to secure power for domestic needs, including the data center demands tied to artificial intelligence, according to CBS News. The report did not provide additional details on the expected scale, cost or timeline for operations.

CBS News described the story as breaking and said it would be updated.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.