US-Saudi Arabia To Ink The Biggest Arms Deal
28/04/2025
Asad Mirza
Washington and Riyadh are reportedly close to a new $100 billion arms package as Trump's Gulf trip nears. The US is poised to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over $100 billion, sources told Reuters, saying the proposal was being lined up for announcement during President Donald Trump's visit to the kingdom in May.
The US may offer a major arms package for 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.
The package is expected to include a range of advanced military systems like: Drones - such as the MQ-9 Reaper, precision-guided munitions, 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 co-operation 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.
For the 2011 deal, F-15SA-(Saudi Arabia) deliveries began in the mid-2010s and had a visible impact on Saudi Arabia’s military operations. The deal also strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position in its broader strategic goals, helping to ensure sustained air superiority and reinforcing the US-Saudi defence partnership in an increasingly volatile region.
Before the visit in May 2025, discussions have also surfaced, about the sale of the Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet to Saudi Arabia.
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has long expressed interest in acquiring these advanced stealth aircraft, but three sources familiar with the matter have downplayed the likelihood of a deal being finalised during Trump’s this trip.
This development raises questions about the strategic and geopolitical complexities surrounding one of the most coveted military platforms in the world and what it means for US-Saudi relations in a volatile region.
For Saudi Arabia, acquiring the F-35 would significantly enhance its air force, which currently relies on older platforms like the F-15 Eagle and Eurofighter Typhoon.
The allure of the F-35 for Saudi Arabia lies not only in its technological superiority but also in its strategic implications. The kingdom faces a complex security environment, with ongoing tensions with Iran, Houthi attacks from Yemen, and the need to maintain regional influence.
However, the path to acquiring the F-35 is fraught with obstacles, primarily due to the US policy commitments to Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME). Under US law, arms sales to Middle Eastern nations must ensure that Israel maintains a technological and operational advantage over its Arab neighbours.
Israel has operated F-35s since 2016, making it the only Middle Eastern nation with the jet. This exclusivity reinforces Israel’s air superiority, a cornerstone of its defence strategy. Further, the US Congress, which has historically scrutinised arms deals with Arab states to ensure compliance with QME requirements may decide against the deal.
The sensitivity of this issue was evident in 2021 when the United Arab Emirates secured a $23 billion deal for 50 F-35s, but only after normalising ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords, addressing concerns about regional balance. Saudi Arabia, which has not yet normalised relations with Israel, faces a higher bar, as such a deal could be perceived as undermining Israel’s strategic position.
The downplaying of an F-35 deal during Trump’s upcoming visit, as reported by Reuters, reflects the intricate play of diplomacy and domestic politics.
This caution may stem from several factors. First, the technical and bureaucratic hurdles of exporting the F-35 are significant. The process involves rigorous security assessments to prevent technology leaks, particularly to adversaries like China, which has been a concern in past deals with Gulf states. Second, congressional approval remains a major obstacle.
The kingdom’s flirtations with Turkey, Russia and China underscore the risks of a prolonged stalemate. At the same time, the US must weigh the benefits of arming Saudi Arabia against the potential backlash from Israel and domestic critics.
Basically, the prospect of Saudi Arabia acquiring the F-35 remains a distant goal, overshadowed by geopolitical, political, and technical challenges. The jet’s unmatched capabilities make it a prize worth pursuing, but the constraints of US policy and regional dynamics suggest that any deal is years away, if it materialises at all.
Finally, the timing of Trump’s visit suggests a focus on economic and investment agreements, as evidenced by his earlier statements about securing $1 trillion in Saudi investments in the US. An F-35 deal, with its long lead times and political sensitivities, may not align with the immediate goals of this trip.
Trump’s visit to Riyadh will likely focus on reinforcing economic and security ties, with the broader arms package serving as a tangible outcome. Yet the F-35’s absence from immediate negotiations highlights the delicate balance of power in the Middle East, where strategic interests, alliances, and rivalries intersect.
As Saudi Arabia continues to modernise its military, the question lingers: will the kingdom secure the F-35, or will it turn to other partners to meet its ambitions? The answer may shape the region’s future for decades to come.
(Asad Mirza is a New Delhi-based senior commentator on national, international, defence and strategic affairs, environmental issues, an interfaith practitioner, and a media consultant.)
Disclaimer: The views, observations and opinions expressed in above write up of KIP News are strictly author’s own.Kashmir Independent Press (kipnews.in) News does not take any onus or liability for the veracity, accuracy, validity, completeness, suitability of any of information in the above given write up. The information, facts or figures appearing in the write up in no way manifest the position, standpoint or stance of Kashmir Independent Press (kipnews.in) and the kipnews.in does not assume any encumbrance or answerability of the same. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent Courts and Forums in Jammu City Only)
Editor
Kashmir Independent Press(kipnews.in)