During US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced an ambitious plan to invest $600 billion in the United States. This announcement came as part of a broader effort to deepen strategic ties between the two countries. According to a report by the international news agency Reuters, the US president arrived in Saudi Arabia on a four-day tour of the Middle East.
During his stay in Riyadh, he signed a strategic partnership agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, covering sectors such as energy, defense, mining, and other industries. The scale of the planned investment underscores Saudi Arabia’s intent to strengthen its economic and political alliance with the United States, particularly under Trump’s administration.
Of the total $600 billion investment, $142 billion is earmarked for the purchase of defense equipment. This defense-related spending aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its military capabilities and solidify its defense partnerships with key Western allies.
The United States had been preparing a major arms deal for the kingdom, and Reuters had previously reported in April that an arms package worth over $100 billion was being finalized. This development fits into a pattern of increasingly large-scale defense deals between the two nations, which view their partnership as mutually beneficial in the context of regional stability and counterterrorism efforts.
Two sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that discussions included the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The F-35 is among the most advanced combat aircraft in the world and has long been on Saudi Arabia’s wishlist. However, Reuters noted that it was unclear whether these aircraft were included in the deal officially announced during the visit. Given the strategic sensitivity of F-35 sales, particularly in relation to U.S. commitments to Israel’s qualitative military edge, any such deal would likely require careful review.
President Trump was accompanied on this visit by several top U.S. business leaders, including billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Following his engagements in Saudi Arabia, Trump was scheduled to travel to Qatar on Wednesday and to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. At the US-Saudi Investment Forum, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih highlighted the evolving nature of the two countries’ relationship.
He emphasized that while energy continues to be a foundational element of U.S.-Saudi ties, the range of business and investment opportunities in the kingdom has expanded significantly, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ongoing economic reforms and diversification efforts under Vision 2030.
