President Trump signs $142 billion arms package during visit to Saudi Arabia

The US has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to a White House fact sheet that called it "the largest defence cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done. The agreement, signed during US President Donald Trump's visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh, covers deals with more than a dozen U.S. defence companies in areas including air and missile defence, air force and space advancement, maritime security and communications, the fact sheet said. Saudi Arabia is the largest customer of U.S. arms.

Former President Joe Biden's administration tried unsuccessfully to finalise a defence pact with Riyadh as part of a broad deal that envisioned Saudi Arabia normalising ties with Israel. The White House fact sheet did not mention if Riyadh would be permitted to purchase Lockheed's F-35 jets, the military aircraft that the kingdom has reportedly been interested in for years.

However, it was not clear if Washington would permit the kingdom to move forward with a purchase that would give Saudi Arabia an advanced weapon used by close U.S. ally Israel. Israel has owned F-35s for nine years, building multiple squadrons. Governments in the Gulf have long sought the most advanced fighter jet, built with stealth technology allowing it to evade enemy detection. If the U.S. did approve the transfer, Saudi Arabia would be only the second Middle East state after Israel to operate F-35 fighters.

In a comprehensive hour-long speech later on Monday, the US president heaped praise on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, saying the US and Saudi Arabia were taking steps to make their relationship "more powerful than ever before".

He also announced that the US would remove sanctions from Syria in order to give the country "a chance at greatness". Trump said he wanted to strike a deal with Iran but warned the country's leaders that if they rejected his "olive branch" he would "inflict massive, maximum pressure". And on the war in Gaza, the US president said the civilian population "deserve a much better future".

Mohammed bin Salman, in contrast, spoke comparatively little at the event - but said the US and Saudi Arabia share "deep economic relations", and would "continue to build" together.

Trump will continue his four-day tour of the Middle East with visits to Qatar on Wednesday and the UAE on Friday - he is also expected to meet the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia tomorrow

Source: commonspace.eu with agencies. Photo: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman pose for a group photo during a Saudi-US Investment Forum, in Riyadh. AFP

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
G7 foreign ministers issue wide ranging statement after their meeting in Canada

G7 foreign ministers issue wide ranging statement after their meeting in Canada

The Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met under Canada’s G7 Presidency, in Niagara, on November 11-12, 2025. The Foreign Ministers of Brazil, India, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Ukraine, also joined the meeting for discussions on maritime security and prosperity, critical minerals, economic resilience and energy security. At the end of their meeting the G7 foreign ministers said: We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty, and independence. We reiterated that an immediate ceasefire is urgently needed. We agreed that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. We are increasing the economic costs to Russia, and exploring measures against countries and entities that are helping finance Russia’s war efforts. We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war. We acknowledged the ongoing discussions on a wide range of financing options, including further leveraging immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets in our jurisdictions in a coordinated way to support Ukraine. We strongly condemned Russia’s recent direct attacks on energy infrastructure and reaffirmed our support for Ukraine’s energy security. We reiterated our strong support for President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. We welcomed the ceasefire and the release of hostages. We stressed the urgency of returning the remains of deceased hostages. We also welcomed the increased flows of aid, but expressed concern about restrictions that remain in place. We called on all parties to allow for humanitarian assistance without interference at scale, through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions and INGOs, as stipulated in President Trump’s plan. It is vital that all parties continue to engage constructively on the next steps outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, in pursuit of a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples that advances comprehensive Middle East peace and stability. We will also continue to maintain attention on the situation in the West Bank. (click headline to read more)

Popular

Editor's choice
News
G7 foreign ministers issue wide ranging statement after their meeting in Canada

G7 foreign ministers issue wide ranging statement after their meeting in Canada

The Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met under Canada’s G7 Presidency, in Niagara, on November 11-12, 2025. The Foreign Ministers of Brazil, India, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Ukraine, also joined the meeting for discussions on maritime security and prosperity, critical minerals, economic resilience and energy security. At the end of their meeting the G7 foreign ministers said: We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty, and independence. We reiterated that an immediate ceasefire is urgently needed. We agreed that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. We are increasing the economic costs to Russia, and exploring measures against countries and entities that are helping finance Russia’s war efforts. We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war. We acknowledged the ongoing discussions on a wide range of financing options, including further leveraging immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets in our jurisdictions in a coordinated way to support Ukraine. We strongly condemned Russia’s recent direct attacks on energy infrastructure and reaffirmed our support for Ukraine’s energy security. We reiterated our strong support for President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. We welcomed the ceasefire and the release of hostages. We stressed the urgency of returning the remains of deceased hostages. We also welcomed the increased flows of aid, but expressed concern about restrictions that remain in place. We called on all parties to allow for humanitarian assistance without interference at scale, through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions and INGOs, as stipulated in President Trump’s plan. It is vital that all parties continue to engage constructively on the next steps outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, in pursuit of a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples that advances comprehensive Middle East peace and stability. We will also continue to maintain attention on the situation in the West Bank. (click headline to read more)