ByIrina Slav– Apr 08, 2025, 1:54 AM CDT
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is set to spend two weeks in the Middle East beginning with Saudi Arabia in what will be his first official foreign visit since taking office, Reuters has reported, citing an unnamed source from the Department of Energy.
The tour will also include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the report said, with the sources adding that the visit would help prepare the region for President Trump’s visit that could take place next month.
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The focus of Wright’s visit, however, would be global energy supply, the Reuters source said. In his talks with Saudi Emirati and Qatari officials, the U.S. energy secretary will reportedly seek to ensure an abundant global supply of hydrocarbons from countries that are not under U.S. sanctions, including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
Another topic of the upcoming discussions would be Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari investments in the United States, with Reuters recalling President Trump’s urging of the Saudis to commit $1 trillion to U.S. investment instead of the $600 billion Crown Prince Mohammed had announced as earmarked for U.S. investments early this year.
The news about Wright’s visit come on the heels of a surprise announcement by President Trump that the United States and Iran were going to discuss their problems directly, although Iran’s foreign minister said the talks, set to take place in Oman, will remain indirect.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen,” Trump said on Monday during a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington.
Wright also heads to the Middle East amid a substantial oil price rout, prompted by the market panic that followed Trump’s latest tariff announcement, which coincided with a decision by OPEC+ to boost production by three times what traders and analysts expected. Brent crude has slid down to some $65 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at around $61 per barrel.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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