U.S. signs nuclear power agreement with Saudi Arabia

The U.S. signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to develop a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom. The agreement will lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership, the Department of Energy said. It will provide U.S. companies with access to Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy program, boosting exports of American technology in the sector, the department said. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also signed a bilateral agreement on nuclear safeguards. Wright said the agreement will "uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists" designed in the U.S. The deal will be submitted to Congress for review, the department said. U.S. cooperation with foreign countries on civilian nuclear power requires such review under the Atomic Energy Act . Saudi currently produces virtually all of its domestic energy from fossil fuels. Nearly 60% of its electricity comes from natural gas and around 40% from oil, according to the International Energy Agency . It is the largest oil producer in OPEC. The Saudi-U.S. agreement comes as Washington bombs Iran in an effort to force Tehran to renounce its nuclear ambitions.