US-Saudi Arabia to ink biggest arms deal

Trump's visit to Riyadh will likely focus on reinforcing economic and security ties, with the broader arms package serving as a tangible outcome, writes Asad Mirza

- Asad Mirza

THE US may offer a major arms package to Saudi Arabia, expected to be unveiled during President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the kingdom in May. During the Middle East tour, Trump is also expected to visit the UAE and Qatar.

According to US officials cited by Reuters, the proposed deal with Saudi Arabia is estimated to exceed $100 billion, qualifying it as one of the largest military agreements of the current administration and a continuation of the deep defence ties between the two nations.

ckage is expected to include a range of advanced military systems, such as drones-like the MQ-9 Reaper - precision-guided munitions, and advanced air and missile defence systems.

This prospective deal is viewed as both a revival and an expansion of the 2017 strategic framework. In May 2017, during President Donald Trump's first official overseas visit to Riyadh, the US and Saudi Arabia announced a sweeping arms agreement valued at $110 billion, with a projected total of up to $350 billion over the following decade.

It was hailed as one of the largest arms deals in US history and formed the centrepiece of renewed strategic cooperation between Washington and Riyadh. The deal also encompassed significant upgrades to communications, cybersecurity infrastructure, and command-and-control systems to improve interoperability with US forces.

In December 2011, under the Barack Obama administration, the US finalised a landmark arms deal with Saudi Arabia valued at $29.4 billion. The agreement was one of the most significant bilateral defence deals of the time and was formally confirmed by the US Department of Defence.