As President Donald Trump tours the Middle East, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed a historic $142 billion arms deal that according to the White House was the largest defense sales agreement in history.
The U.S. has recently finalized a series of arms deals with Gulf allies worth multiple billions of dollars, signaling Washington’s continued strategic tilt toward regional partners amid escalating tensions with Iran and rivalry with Russia and China.
Why It Matters
The U.S. is deepening defense ties with Gulf allies through multi-billion-dollar arms deals as Trump returns to the region, reaffirming America’s military foothold in a region increasingly eyed by China and Russia.
Advanced Weapons to Saudi Arabia
“The sales that we intend to complete fall into five broad categories: air force advancement and space capabilities, air and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security and land forces modernization, and information and communication systems upgrades,” the White House said in a statement. Earlier this month, the State Department approved a $3.5 billion sale of AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles to Saudi Arabia, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Source:anewsweek.com
Di deals, handshakes and key moments
US President Donald Trump say di US no get “a stronger partner” dan Saudi Arabia.
E tok dis wan during im first major foreign trip – a visit of Gulf countries wey mainly focus on strengthening investment for di region. E say, “di US -Saudi relationship na bedrock of security and prosperity and by di way, e go remain dat way. We no dey go in and out like oda pipo,” President Trump tok.
Day one of di trip see di two sides announce a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal, as well as oda ogbonge investments wey Saudi Arabia crown prince say fit eventually be worth $1tn.“In addition to buying about $142billion of American-made military equipment by our great Saudi partners, di largest ever.
Dis week, we get multi -billion dollar commercial deals with Amazon, Argo, AMD, Uber, all of dem dey here.”During im trip, Trump also announce say di US go lift Syria sanctions. All dis na US President Donald Trump first major international tour of im second term as president and e land for Saudia Arabia first.
Dis na part of im visit to Gulf states ova four days for bilateral tok.
Earlier, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wey dem sabi by im initials MBS, bin welcome Trump for King Khalid airport, wit oda leaders wey follow am come. Source:bbc.com
Saudis invest big in US weapons, AI as Trump basks in welcome
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday promised billions of dollars in deals with the United States, from defence to artificial intelligence, as it threw a lavish welcome for President Donald Trump on the first state visit of his second term.
The Saudis escorted Air Force One into the kingdom with fighter jets before bringing out long-stretching guards of honour and sending flag-waving cavalry to accompany Trump’s motorcade to the palace.
Under imposing chandeliers, Trump welcomed a promise by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for $600 billion in investment and quipped that it should be $1 trillion.
“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”, Trump said. The White House said that Saudi Arabia would buy nearly $142bn in weapons in what it described as the largest-ever weapons deal, although Trump in his first term trumpeted a larger, longer-term figure.
The White House said that Saudi company DataVolt will invest $20bn in artificial intelligence-related sites in the United States, while tech firms including Google will invest in both countries — welcome news for Saudi Arabia, which has long faced restrictions in US advanced technology.
With cameras rolling, a lengthy procession of Saudi royalty and business figures waited their turn to shake hands with Trump and the crown prince, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and a close adviser to Trump, who made a rare appearance in a suit. The US leader will head later in the week to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, fellow oil-rich Arab monarchies with long-standing ties to the United States — and to Trump. In choosing the Gulf for his first major tour, the 78-year-old billionaire is again bypassing traditional presidential stops among Western allies, some of which have been unnerved by his norms-shattering diplomacy. Eight years ago, Trump also chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip, when he posed with a glowing orb and participated in a sword dance..
Source: thestar.com/poltics.
Trump Asks Saudi Crown Prince, “How Do You Sleep At Night?”
Trump asked Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler if he slept at night, praising him for overcoming criticism and building his country into a powerful business hub. “Mohammed, do you sleep at night? How do you sleep? What a job. He tosses and turns like some of us, tosses and turns all night…How do I make it better?’ It’s the ones who don’t toss and turn, they’re the ones who will never take you to the promised land,” Trump said as he kicked off the first major overseas trip of his second term. The glowing praise earned Trump a laugh from bin Salman and a standing ovation from the audience.
What Trump Wants From ?
Trump’s and MBS’s relationship remains anchored in shared interests– the US President is chasing major economic wins and a revived American role in the region, while bin Salman seeks access to advanced technology, military support and a powerful ally in his push to modernise Saudi Arabia and assert regional leadership.
At the summit, Trump touted a $142 billion defence agreement and a sweeping $600 billion Saudi investment package spanning artificial intelligence, infrastructure and
energy.. Source: ndtv.com/world-new
