Saudi-US $142 Billion Arms Deal And Riyadh's 'Potential Purchase' F-35 Jets (Photo on X@sixthgalaxy)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: On Wednesday, May 14, the United States signed an arms deal worth nearly $142 billion with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which a White House fact sheet called the largest defense cooperation agreement Washington has ever made.

As per the agreement signed by US President Donald Trump and de facto ruler Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the US would sell the arms package to Saudi Arabia, which includes state-of-the-art defense equipment and services from US arms companies. US-based Lockheed Martin Corp was expected to sell C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and radars as part of the deal.

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Donald Trump is on a four-day Middle East trip, focusing on securing economic deals. After assuming power in 2017, Trump made his first foreign trip to the gulf nation, and proposed approximately $110 billion of sales to the kingdom. He also made a broader $350 billion economic package covering defense, energy, and infrastructure initiatives.

Saudi Arabia is the largest customer of U.S. arms, with President Trump prioritising and maintaining a strong relationship with the kingdom for economic and security ties, despite human rights concerns over the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi border. During his trip to Saudi Arabia, Tesla CEO and Donald Trump’s adviser, Elon Musk, was also in Riyadh. He is likely to engage with the Saudi-US Investment Forum. It is yet to be known whether Riyadh will be permitted to purchase Lockheed’s F-35 jets, the military aircraft that the kingdom has reportedly been eyeing for years.

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News agency Reuters has reported that the two countries had discussed Riyadh’s potential purchase of Lockheed’s F-35 jets. The jets, if allowed to be purchased, will give Saudi Arabia an advanced weapon used by close US ally Israel. It is reported that the US guarantees that Israel receives more advanced American weapons than Arab states, giving its close ally a qualitative edge, the news agency reported, citing sources.

Governments in the gulf regions have reportedly demanded advanced fighter jets, built with stealth technology allowing them to evade enemy detection. Currently, Israel is the only state in the Middle East that has owned F-35s for nine years, building multiple squadrons. If allowed, Saudi Arabia could be the second Middle East state to operate F-35 fighters. Saudi Arabia is also seeking US cooperation to develop a civil nuclear program. The US could secure lucrative contracts with the Kingdom if it backs Riyadh’s nuclear program.

During the speech delivered in Riyadh, Trump also surprisingly announced that the US will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, giving relief to a country devastated by decades of economic blockade and conflicts.