Saudi Arabia Learns the Limits of Pay to Play
The Atlantic analyzes the recent U.S.-Saudi nuclear partnership, suggesting that Saudi Arabia's financial investments in the Trump family have not guaranteed the diplomatic outcomes they expected. The deal remains contentious due to shifting requirements regarding uranium enrichment and relations with Israel.
Why it matters
The article explores the intersection of personal financial interests and foreign policy in the current U.S. administration.
Even money and gifts can’t buy diplomatic loyalty from Trump.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty July 24, 2026, 7:29 PM ET Share Save Faithless, chaotic, and corrupt: Donald Trump's character also shapes his foreign policy. The latest victim is Saudi Arabia—not a sympathetic victim, maybe, but a victim all the same.
On July 22, United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart signed an agreement for a Saudi-U.S. civilian nuclear partnership. The multi-decade, multibillion-dollar deal allows American companies to develop and operate commercial nuclear power plants on Saudi soil, potentially including a uranium-enrichment facility. The Saudis have sought such a deal for almost 20 years. United States presidents from Barack Obama onward have expressed openness to it, but on two conditions: Any deal must include safeguards against Saudi use of enrichment for nuclear weapons and also a normalization of relations with Israel.
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