Tuesday 19 March 2024
 
»
 
»
BILATERAL SECURITY TIES BOOST

Trump being received by King Salman at Riyadh airport.Image/epa

Saudi Arabia inks massive $110bn US weapons deal

RIYADH, May 20, 2017

The United States has sealed a massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia, the White House announced on Saturday, a move that solidifies its decades-long alliance with the world's largest energy producer just as President Donald Trump begins his maiden trip abroad as leader of the free world.
 
The agreement, which is worth $350 billion over 10 years and $110 billion that will take effect immediately, was hailed by the White House as "a significant expansion of…[the] security relationship" between the two countries, reported CNBC.
 
Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia is in a broad-based push for economic reform, and as part of that effort signed a flurry of deals with private US companies worth tens of billions of dollars.
 
Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest defense contractors whose technology was part of the US-Saudi accord, said in a statement that the deal "will directly contribute to [Saudi Arabia's] Vision 2030 by opening the door for thousands of highly skilled jobs in new economic sectors."
 
The arms package represents an enhancement of Saudi Arabia's military capabilities as tensions flare in the region, with the US viewing the Saudis as a linchpin in efforts to check the global ambitions of Iran. The country, the hub of Islam's most revered sites, but is also a target of radical Islamic extremism.
 
"This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the Kingdom's ability to contribute to counter terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the U.S. military to conduct those operations," the White House said in a statement.
 
For the Saudis, Trump's visit represents a diplomatic and public relations coup for the 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated the CNBC report. 
 
The US-Saudi partnership has been fraught with controversy since the Sept 11 attacks, which culminated last year in a Congressional vote to allow 9/11 families to sue the country for its suspected links to the attackers.
 
Saudi Arabia is the primary destination for US arms sales, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, with the Kingdom purchasing nearly 10 per cent of US exports from 2011 to 2015. 



Tags: Saudi Arabia | US weapons deal |

More Miscellaneous Stories

calendarCalendar of Events

Ads