Saudi Set to Receive Revolutionary Nuclear Technology From US
Your Daily Update for July 22, 2026. Plus: Saudi Arabia is set to receive new technology from the US that could allow them to enrich nuclear fuel.
Welcome to today’s daily update for Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Breakdown
As the largest nation in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is built on oil. The nation is the world’s largest oil exporter, sending out around 6-8 million barrels per day prior to the current geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been insistent on using Saudi Arabia’s current funds to build up other sectors, particularly tourism, while investing billions of dollars in oil money into international technology, EVs, and artificial intelligence.
His Vision 2030 plan also includes projects that have already begun mining for minerals across the Arabian Shield, a region of western Saudi Arabia that contains more than $2.5 trillion in critical minerals. Meanwhile, cities are being expanded, infrastructure is being revamped, and social laws are being modernized to bring more women into the workforce.
Now, as part of that shift to prepare to wind down the nation’s dependence on oil, Saudi Arabia is set to receive new technology from the United States that could allow them to enrich nuclear fuel – or, as some say, create a nuclear weapon.
According to the Trump administration, exporting the technology could provide billions to the nuclear industry at home, in addition to allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich nuclear fuel of their own. Being able to enrich nuclear fuel is the first key step in the process to establishing a nuclear power plant – that fuel is then used to power a series of reactors that can provide constant, massive amounts of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.
However, several lawmakers have raised concerns of their own. With the ability to enrich nuclear fuel, Saudi Arabia could potentially take steps to develop a nuclear weapon, violating the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that works to prevent the spread of such weapons.
Several lawmakers have suggested that exporting enriched nuclear fuel, rather than giving Saudi Arabia the ability to enrich uranium on their own soil, is a less risky alternative – the US has executed such a deal before with other nations, like the UAE, but Saudi Arabia has demanded to maintain that ability if a deal goes through.
Others have argued that developing a nuclear weapon with the provided technology is nearly impossible. The machines that the US plans to export are only capable of enriching uranium to around 3-5% – enough to produce energy, but nowhere near the 90% enrichment needed to create a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has convinced Trump to reduce scrutiny and investigations into local nuclear sites, though the administration has argued that other partnerships and restrictions will be in place.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asserted that Saudi Arabia will surely build a nuclear weapon if Iran does so – Iran insists that their nuclear program is solely for civilian use, but recent investigations have found uranium enrichment near weapons-grade levels at certain sites.
This deal is also beneficial towards strengthening US-Saudi relations amid a time where the Saudi government has become increasingly apprehensive of America. Trump’s war in the Middle East has significantly impacted oil exports, backed up the Strait of Hormuz, and sparked various strikes from Iran towards military bases and oil depots in Saudi Arabia, concerning officials, but a major nuclear technology deal could help soothe those tensions.
Trump plans to officially sign the agreement later today, after which it will go to Congress for review. While more than 50% of both chambers may be in opposition, the Atomic Energy Act requires at least two-thirds of both chambers to dissent in order to officially veto the deal, making it extremely likely to go through.
The Global Snapshot
According to the latest statements from US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the cost of the nation’s war in Iran has skyrocketed to a staggering $37.5 billion. Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have requested more than $70 billion to help replenish the country’s heavily depleted weapons stockpiles and fund further operations, which is in addition to the $1.5 trillion that the Pentagon has requested for the defense budget for this fiscal year. Hegseth blamed the current situation on the Biden administration and insisted that the funds are “needed,” despite bipartisan backlash and concern.
Yesterday, an Australian woman, 34-year-old Jenitar Sau Na’amoana, gave birth to identical quadruplets in a stunning, incredibly rare scenario that left the world in shock. The babies were conceived naturally, but doctors have stated that the chances of conceiving four babies from one egg is approximately one in 15 million – and extricating them from the placenta is even tougher. Their names are Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa, and they – along with their mother – are now doing well after being delivered via C-section just 28 weeks into pregnancy.
The French Parliament has officially approved the world’s latest social media ban for children – and the first in the European Union. The new law will place a blanket ban similar to those of Australia and the UK over social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and TikTok for children under the age of 15, in addition to banning the use of all mobile phones in schools. Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron is aiming to implement the ban by the time French schools resume in September, but incoming lawsuits could postpone or even reverse the move.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Dogs with which have flatter faces, such as pugs, have a 40% increased risk of early death compared to others with pointed, long faces. This is primarily due to anatomy – flat-faced dogs are highly prone to breathing difficulties, which puts immense strain on their respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater. (William Hazlitt)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Dog days (plural noun, DAWG-DAYZ) - Dog days is a plural noun that refers to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, sultry weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work.
In a Sentence: Spending the day at a swimming hole has always been the perfect relief for the dog days of summer.
Image: Flickr / Public Domain
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