US, Saudi Arabia sign $142 billion arms deal as Donald Trump begins 4-day Middle East tour
The United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signed a massive arms agreement, during a series of deals finalised between President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.“The United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defence sales agreement in history — nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment,” the White House said in a statement.Saudi company DataVolt “is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centres and energy infrastructure in the United States”, the White House added, as the oil-rich kingdom seeks a leading role in the technology.While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already pledged around $600 billion in new Saudi investments, Trump remarked that reaching $1 trillion would be “even better.”During a brief interaction with the crown prince, Trump remarked, “I really believe we like each other a lot,” underscoring the friendly tone of the bilateral talks.“We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they’re going to walk away with a lot of cheques,” Trump told the prince. For “the United States, it’s probably two million jobs that we’re talking about,” he added.Trump began his four-day Middle East visit in Saudi Arabia by signing a series of major economic and bilateral cooperation agreements with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The deals, aimed at strengthening ties with a key regional ally, were signed against the backdrop of ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and the war in Gaza.Upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Trump was warmly welcomed by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two leaders then moved to a ceremonial hall, where Trump and his team were served traditional Arabic coffee by attendants in ceremonial attire.The visit included formal proceedings at Al Yamamah Palace’s Royal Court, featuring an elaborate lunch gathering. Trump’s itinerary also includes subsequent visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both significant US allies with established connections to the former president.
