The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a historic arms agreement worth nearly $142 billion during President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh.
This deal, described by the White House as the largest defense sales agreement in history, will provide Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment.
As part of the agreement, Saudi company DataVolt plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centres and energy infrastructure in the United States.
This move marks Saudi Arabia’s effort to play a leading role in the technology sector. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already pledged around $600 billion in new Saudi investments, with Trump suggesting that reaching $1 trillion would be even better.
During a brief interaction, Trump expressed his friendly rapport with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stating, “I really believe we like each other a lot.” Trump also highlighted the potential economic benefits for the US, saying, “We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they’re going to walk away with a lot of cheques.” He estimated that the deal could lead to approximately two million jobs for the United States.
Trump’s four-day Middle East visit began in Saudi Arabia, where he signed major economic and bilateral cooperation agreements with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These deals aim to strengthen ties with a key regional ally amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and the war in Gaza.
Upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport, Trump was warmly welcomed by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two leaders participated in a ceremonial hall, where they were served traditional Arabic coffee, and held formal proceedings at Al Yamamah Palace’s Royal Court, featuring an elaborate lunch gathering.
After Saudi Arabia, Trump moves to UAE
Following his visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump will travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both significant US allies with established connections to the former president.
Read also: Trump heads to Gulf for high-stakes economic talks
