The United States is preparing to offer over $100 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, according to six sources familiar with the matter. The package is expected to be announced during President Donald Trump’s visit to the kingdom in May.
The proposed deal includes advanced weapons systems from major U.S. defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin, RTX, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics. The package may feature C-130 transport aircraft, missiles, radars, and possibly MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources said.
A $20 billion drone deal with General Atomics has gained momentum over the past year, one source added.
It remains unclear how many components of the package are new. Several have reportedly been under discussion since 2018. Three sources said defence executives are expected to travel to Riyadh as part of the U.S. delegation.
The Biden administration previously attempted to seal a defence pact with Saudi Arabia tied to normalising relations with Israel. That plan included limiting Chinese arms purchases and investment, but ultimately stalled.
Trump, who previously touted arms sales to Riyadh as job-creating, first proposed $110 billion in deals during his 2017 visit. By 2018, only $14.5 billion had been initiated, and congressional opposition intensified following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Under U.S. law, major weapons sales must be reviewed by Congress. In 2021, President Biden imposed a ban on offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing the Yemen war and Khashoggi’s killing. That ban was lifted in 2024, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the October 7 Hamas attack led Washington to re-engage with Riyadh on regional security.
A potential sale of F-35 fighter jets—long sought by Saudi Arabia—could also be discussed, though sources downplayed the chances of a deal being finalised during the visit.
U.S. law mandates that Israel maintain a Qualitative Military Edge (QME), receiving more advanced American weapons than its neighbours. Israel has operated F-35s since 2016.
The White House, Pentagon, and defence firms declined to comment. The Saudi government has not responded to inquiries.
For decades, Uzbekistan’s cotton industry was primarily associated with the production and harvesting of ...
Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine an...
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal has it is shutting production at Ukraine's largest steel plant, underscoring the grow...
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, 24 September, for talks focused on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal has it is shutting production at Ukraine's largest steel plant, underscoring the growing economic toll of Russia's airstrikes that on Friday killed seven people in Kyiv including a 14-year-old boy and injured 58.
A woman has died and five people are missing after a residential building collapsed following an explosion in a tourist area of central Athens, a Greek fire brigade official said on Saturday.
U.S. television networks resumed coverage of President Donald Trump’s White House events on Friday, providing the first live pool footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit as a legal battle continues over restrictions on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is comfortable maintaining its trade standoff with Canada despite new import bans taking effect next week U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment