The deal could be announced next month during President Donald Trump’s planned trip to the Middle East.
The US is poised to provide Saudi Arabia with a weapons package worth more than $100 million, Reuters reports it cites six sources familiar with the issue.
The deal is reportedly being working on President Donald Trump ahead of his planned trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next month, Reuters reported Thursday.
Top defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and General Atomic are reportedly involved in supplying advanced weapons systems, with several executives from the company expected to join Trump’s mandate for a visit, according to Reuters.
Sources cited by Reuters said the contractors could provide a variety of weapons, including C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and radar systems.
However, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will have access to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets. There are only a number of countries that can purchase F-35s from the US, including NATO allies, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, has sought to sign a new defense agreement with Saudi Arabia with the broader purpose of normalizing relations with Israel. The Biden agreement also called on Riyadh to limit Chinese investment and halt the purchase of arms from Beijing, but Reuters said it could not establish whether Trump’s proposed deal would seek similar restrictions.
Neither the White House nor Saudi authorities immediately responded to requests for comment, but the US Secretary of Defense told Reuters that “security cooperation remains a key component.” None of the defense contractors appointed by Reuters responded to questions.
The US has long been supplying arms to Saudi Arabia, but sales fell in 2018 following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In 2021, the US Congress banned the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, triggering the murders and involvement of Riyadh in the war in Yemen.
The Biden administration began to ease its stance against Saudi Arabia in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affected global oil supply, and in 2024 the ban on offensive arms sales was lifted as Saudi Arabia was seen as a key US partner in the postwar reconstruction of Gaza.
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