Record-breaking deal? Reuters reveals Trump's plan for Saudi Arabia
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The US is ready to offer Saudi Arabia an arms supply package. The deal involves a $100 billion contract, Reuters reports.
According to six sources directly familiar with the matter, the proposal is being prepared for announcement during US President Donald Trump's visit to the Kingdom in May.
According to three sources, it is expected that the potential deal will include the supply of Lockheed F-35 aircraft, which the Kingdom has reportedly been interested in for many years, while downplaying the chances for an F-35 deal being signed during the trip.
What US arms supplies to UAE are on agenda
During his first term, Trump praised arms sales to Saudi Arabia as a beneficial influence on US jobs.
According to two sources, Lockheed may supply a range of modern weapon systems, including the C-130 transport aircraft. One source reported that Lockheed would also supply missiles and radars.
RTX Corp (RTX.N), formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, is also expected to play a significant role in the package, which will include supplies from other major US defense contractors, such as Boeing Co, Northrop Grumman Corp, and General Atomics, according to four sources.
In response to Reuters' query about arms supplies, RTX, Northrop, and General Atomics declined to comment. A representative of Lockheed Martin stated that foreign military sales are intergovernmental agreements and that questions regarding sales to foreign governments are best addressed by the US government.
Reuters was unable to immediately determine how many of the proposed deals were new. Many of them have been in development for some time, two sources said.
For example, the Kingdom first requested information on General Atomics drones in 2018, they reported. In the last 12 months, the focus has been on a $20 billion deal for General Atomics MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and other aircraft, according to one source.
According to three sources, several defense company executives are considering a trip to the region as part of a delegation.
What Biden Administration proposed
The proposed package comes after the administration of former President Joe Biden unsuccessfully attempted to conclude a defense pact with Riyadh as part of a broader agreement that would involve the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Biden's proposal offered access to more advanced US weapons in exchange for halting Chinese arms purchases and limiting Beijing's investments in the country. Reuters was unable to determine if the Trump administration's proposal includes similar requirements.
US arms supplies to Saudi Arabia
The US has long supplied arms to Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Trump offered the Kingdom about $110 billion in sales.
By 2018, $14.5 billion in sales had been initiated, and Congress began questioning these deals in light of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In particular, Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist for The Washington Post, was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. His body was dismembered and destroyed. The murder led to heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the US, and other countries.
In 2021, under Biden, Congress imposed a ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in connection with Khashoggiєs murder and to pressure the Kingdom to end the war in Yemen, which resulted in large casualties among the civilian population.
Under US law, major international arms deals must be reviewed by members of Congress before they are finalized.
The Biden administration began to soften its stance on Saudi Arabia in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine impacted global oil supplies. The ban on sales of offensive weapons was lifted in 2024, as Washington worked more closely with Riyadh following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, to develop a post-war Gaza plan.
