Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and US President Donald Trump signed a major arms deal on 13 May during the US leader’s visit to Riyadh.
The document stipulates that the US agrees to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth $142 billion. A White House statement described the agreement as “the largest defence cooperation agreement” Washington has ever entered into.
As Reuters notes, the signed agreement covers more than a dozen US defence companies in areas such as air and missile defence, air force, space development, Maritime Security and communications.
“The approved package is a clear demonstration of our commitment to strengthening our bilateral partnership,” the Trump administration said.
Saudi Arabia is the largest buyer of US weapons. The administration of previous U.S. President Joe Biden tried without success to conclude a defence pact with Riyadh as part of a broader agreement that included normalising the kingdom’s relations with Israel, Reuters writes.
Donald Trump called Prince Mohammad bin Salman an “incredible man” during a visit this year, adding that the bond between the two countries is now “stronger than ever”. Trump is accompanied on the trip by major business leaders, including Ilon Musk.
The official programme for Trump’s four-day Middle East tour also includes visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.